Girl Scouts honor Young Women of Achievement
They excel academically, lead community service projects, serve as mentors and work tirelessly for a better Quad-Cities.
They are five women between the ages of 18 and 24 who will be honored Thursday as the first recipients of the Young Women of Achievement Award. The recognition — sponsored by the Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois with the support of Mel Foster Co., the Quad-City Times and KWQC-TV — will take place at a celebration and banquet scheduled from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at The Mark of the Quad-Cities, 1201 River Drive, Moline.
Julie Bechtel, the publisher of the Quad-City Times, is the keynote speaker.
Diane Nelson, chief executive officer of the area Girl Scouts, said the award, which will be presented annually, is intended to showcase young women who are making a difference and embody the ideals and principles of the 95-year-old organization.
“So many young girls do such an outstanding job in the community and go the extra mile, but they are not being recognized. We really want to celebrate what good things these young women are doing,” she said.
The 2007 recipients of the Young Women of Achievement Award are Erin Blecha, 22, a senior at Augustana College, Rock Island; Emma Crino, 21, a junior at St. Ambrose University, Davenport; Krista Currie, 18, a senior at United Township High School, East Moline; Jil Gates, 24, a residence hall and student housing director at St. Ambrose; and Cara Voelliger, 18, a senior at Bettendorf High School.
More than 20 candidates were nominated for the honor. The final selections were made by a panel of women who are community leaders.
Contact the city desk at (563) 383-2245 or newsroom@qctimes.com. Comment on this story at www.qctimes.com.
If you go
What: Young Women of Achievement Award recognition banquet
When: 5:30-9 p.m. Thursday
Where: The Mark of the Quad-Cities, 1201 River Drive, Moline
How much: Individual tickets are $25. A block of 10 tickets for a corporate table is $300.
Information: Shannon Hans at (309) 788-0833, Ext. 314