Girl Scouts of Colorado honors ten extraordinary women as 2015 Women of Distinction: Shirley Amore, Retired City Librarian, Denver Public Library Kim Bimestefer, President & General Manager, Cigna Mountain States Laura J. Davis, Director of Environmental, Health & Safety and Systems Safety Engineering, Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. Cheryl Haggstrom, Executive Vice President, Community First Foundation M.L. Hanson, President, Idyll Cravings, LLC Djuana Harvell, PhD, be well/be EPIC Project Manager, The Stapleton Foundation for Sustainable Urban Communities Tasha L. Jones, Director of Marketing, Forest City Stapleton, Inc. Loretta P. Martinez, General Counsel & Secretary to the Board of Trustees, Metropolitan State University of Denver Vicki Scott, Program Manager, Aurora Youth Options, Aurora Mental Health Center Debbie Trujillo, Community Relations Director, KeyBank This year’s honorees were selected by a committee of their peers led by Selection Chair Alice Kelly, 2002 Woman of Distinction, and chosen based on their contributions to the community, both professionally and personally. They are shining examples of corporate, civic and philanthropic leadership and serve as role models for our female leaders of tomorrow. Since 1997, including this year’s honorees, Girl Scouts of Colorado has recognized 417 Denver area women with this honor. The Women of Distinction program is widely regarded as one of Denver’s premier philanthropic programs, bringing together a group of women dedicated to raising funds to support Girl Scout leadership programs. More than $2 million has been raised in 17 years. Later this year, Girl Scouts of Colorado will publicly honor these women at the 2015 Thin Mint Dinner in Denver. This event will be from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on Oct. 20 at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel. Event co-chairs are Luella Chavez D’Angelo, Chief Communications Officer, The Western Union Company, 2005 Woman of Distinction; and Donna Lynne, President, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Colorado, 2006 Woman of Distinction. For more information on the Oct. 20 event, including how you can help, or to purchase tickets and sponsorships contact Heidi Books at 303-607-4833 or heidi.books@gscolorado.org. #Denver #Denvermetro #WomenofDistinction

Submitted by Jessica Gentilini Eagle Mountain Communities Troop 53724 has been working really hard to earn their Troop Excellence award as well as their Bronze Award. Some of the projects they have worked on include organizing and running a craft/skit or song table at the S’more Campfire Kickoff that was held in Eagle this year. This event welcomed new girls to come and check out what Girl Scouting is all about and our troop was very excited to tell them their experiences in GS as well as help! In earning their Global Action badge, they also learned about the need for purifying drinking water and what other kids around the globe face when that is not an option. The girls got to filter “dirty” water with a coffee filter in an attempt to find a solution. Our troop really grew as leaders this year! Each girl explored her strongest leadership quality and how to develop it further to become an even more effective leader. They then interviewed the Town of Eagle Energy Conservation specialists to learn about what projects the town is working on and how it might inspire them in achieving their Bronze Award this year. More to follow as they complete their Bronze…. Great work girls!! This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #Eagle #mountaincommunities #TroopExcellence

From Girl Scouts of the USA Girl Scouts is excited to announce a partnership with the National Park Service to launch the “Girl Scout Ranger Program,” a joint venture connecting girls with National Park Service sites throughout the United States, including monuments, seashores, and urban sites. Through the program, girls can participate in a variety of organized educational or outdoor service projects. Additionally, Girl Scouts may design their own project that aligns with their Girl Scout Journey experience, various badge activities, or a Take Action (“highest award”) project. Girls who successfully complete projects will be awarded certificates from the National Park Service and Girl Scout patches. “Providing girls with access to the outdoors is one of the cornerstones of the Girl Scout mission,” said Anna Maria Chávez, CEO of GSUSA. “Through terrific partnerships and programs like the Girl Scout Ranger Program, we offer girls a chance to engage in outdoor activities that encourage a healthy, active lifestyle and a respect for the environment. We are proud to be teaming up with the National Park Service to help more Girl Scouts in more places experience everything the outdoors has to offer.” Girls and troops who wish to participate in the Girl Scout Ranger Program can visit the National Park Service website to locate a park (“Find Your Park”) near their home. There, they can also explore the history of the park and learn about its natural and cultural resources. Troop leaders and parents can arrange for activities like hiking, biking, wildlife watching, and guided interpretive tours, and the Girl Scout Ranger Program will also allow girls to build their own unique park experience, earning badges and patches along the way. Said GSUSA National Board President Kathy Hopinkah Hannan, “Girl Scouts is very excited to offer girls this incredible opportunity to explore the outdoors. Our national parks are an important part of the American landscape, both physical and cultural, and they have provided generations of American families with unique outdoor experiences. Now, through this partnership, we can offer Girl Scouts everywhere a chance to get outside and learn about nature and the importance of taking care of our environment.” To announce the Girl Scout Ranger Program, May 2, approximately 5,000 girls and 1,000 volunteers, Kathy Hopinkah Hannan, and NPS Deputy Director Peggy O’Dell walked across the Golden Gate Bridge together, celebrating this new partnership and bringing attention to the amazing outdoor experiences available to everyone at our nation’s national parks and monuments. “The National Park Service and Girl Scouts of the USA have the same goal in mind: providing meaningful and memorable experiences for girls through unique outdoor experiences,” said Peggy O’Dell, NPS deputy director. “Through this partnership, girls will be introduced to the many ways they can play, learn, serve, and work in our national parks. We are committed to connecting our nation’s cultural and national treasures with today’s youth—so go ‘Find Your Park’!” #GirlScoutsoftheUSA #NationalParkService

Submitted by Jennifer Morris Parker Denver Metro Are you starting a new Daisy troop? Do you need some ideas for meetings? Seventh grade Cadette Girl Scouts from Parker Colorado Troop 2851, worked on their Silver Award project. Chloee and Emmy, organized videos reading Welcome to the Daisy Flower Garden, a Daisy Journey book. Also, they created a Pinterest board containing the boards: Daisy Meetings, Games, Daisy Start up Activity, Songs, Crafts, Journeys, Swaps, and Snack Ideas, to help Daisy Leaders with meetings. Also this project is sustainable because the videos are easily accessible as they’re on YouTube and Pinterest. This helps new Daisy Troop leaders to continue years of Girl Scouts. New leaders can use this information to begin their own troops. The Pinterest board helps them by giving the leaders Journey program planning, meeting ideas, and activities. The YouTube channel has Chloee and Emmy narrating the Daisy book stories so the leaders can prepare the next activity. Check out our YouTube channel and Pinterest Board below. https://www.pinterest.com/gstroop62851/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxgLP7MqxHE1pDiBjDrkfjw This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #Daisies #SilverAward

Submitted by Cricket Hawkins Eagle Mountain Communities Sage Sappenfield and Grace Aalto helped Leader Kristina Sappenfield pick up trash for the annual Eagle River Watershed Council’s Highway Cleanup on Saturday April 25. The team filled four large bags with trash found on Capitol Street and were then treated to a BBQ lunch for all volunteers at Arrowhead. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #communityservice #Eagle #EagleRiverWatershedsCouncilHighwayCleanup

Submitted by Cricket Hawkins Dillon Mountain Communities The girls of Summit County Daisy Troop 50262 decided to have some fun and make their school a better place by picking up trash on the playground and around the building on April 29th. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #communityservice #Daisies #Dillon

Girl Scouts of Colorado honors six extraordinary women as 2015 Women of Distinction: Kathy Boe, CEO, Boecore, Inc. Brigadier General Dana M. Capozzella, ARNG, Retired, Compliance Officer/Partner, Cascade Investment Group Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, Chief of Organizational Excellence, United States Olympic Committee Karla Grazier, CEO and President, Discover Goodwill of Southern & Western Colorado C. Phoebe Lostroh, PhD, Associate Professor of Molecular Biology and Director of Feminist and Gender Studies, Colorado College Mia Ramirez, MPH, Senior Community Health Specialist, Kaiser Permanente This year’s six honorees were selected by a committee of their peers led by Selection Chair Lynne Telford, President and CEO of Care and Share Food Bank for Southern Colorado and Woman of Distinction 2014, and chosen based on their contributions to the community, both professionally and personally. They are shining examples of corporate, civic and philanthropic leadership and serve as role models for our female leaders of tomorrow. The Women of Distinction program began in the area in 2000, though 56 area women were named Women of Distinction in 1994 during Girl Scouts’ 75 Anniversary. Including this year’s honorees, Girl Scouts of Colorado has recognized 119 area women with this honor. The Women of Distinction program brings together a group of women dedicated to raising funds to support Girl Scout leadership programs. More than $325,000 has been raised in 12 years. Later this year, Girl Scouts of Colorado will publicly honor these inductees on September 10 at the 2015 Thin Mint Dinner in Colorado Springs at the Antlers Hilton. Alicia McConnell, Director of Training Sites and Community Partnerships at the United States Olympic Committee and Woman of Distinction 2007, is the event chair. For more information on the Sept. 10 event, including how you can help, please contact Karen Burghart at 719-304-8322 or karen.burghart@gscolorado.org. You can also visit the Girl Scouts of Colorado website for more information or to purchase tickets and/or sponsorships at girlscoutsofcolorado.org/women-of-distinction-pikes-peak. #ColoradoSprings #PikesPeak #WomenofDistinction

Submitted by Sage Stenhaug Colorado Springs I have been a Humane Society volunteer for over a year. As I saw all of the homeless animals coming through the shelter, it was obvious that many of them would not be adopted. There are over 23,000 animals through the shelter doors each year. Fewer than half will find forever homes. My project involved educating the public on our responsibility to spay and neuter pets to prevent accidental litters. I also collected and sold aluminum to purchase spay and neuter certificates that would be donated to low income pet owners that would not be able to spay or neuter if they did not have financial assistance. By spaying or neutering just 2 cats or dogs, we can keep thousands of other animals out of the shelter. Two cats and their offspring can reproduce as many as 420,000 cats in just 7 years, and dogs would result in 67,000 in just 6 years. Fewer unwanted animals is better for the public responsibility of taxation to fund the Humane Society, stray animal suffering, and potential euthanization. I will continue to sell cans to fund spay and neutering certificates. It has been a huge learning experience. Thanks to all that assisted me in this endeavor! This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #ColoradoSprings #HumaneSociety

Littleton Denver Metro Hey ladies of Colorado! What’re you doing this Saturday, May 2nd? Senior Troop 50379 is hosting our third annual Out of the Darkness Walk through the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention at Dakota Ridge High School! We would love to have the support of our fellow Girl Scouts this year! Registration is free and begins at 9:30a.m., or you can preregister online at the link below! There will be a brief ceremony at 10:30 a.m., and we will begin walking at 11a.m.! We appreciate any support we can get as this is a cause that is close to our hearts in this troop. Any additional information you may need is also on this website! Thanks so much! http://afsp.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.event&eventID=3503 This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #communityservice #DakotaRidgeHighSchool #Denver #suicideprevention

Submitted by Janet Baratti Colorado Springs Pikes Peak Junior Troop 4117 for their Bronze Award encouraged students at Prairie Hills Elementary to be Wise Recyclers as they put on a skit at their Pride Assembly. They encouraged students to bring in empty, clean aluminum to be collected and brought to Wise Recycle in Colorado Springs. The money raised by turning in the aluminum will be donated to their local Ronald McDonald House and MS Society of Colorado. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #BronzeAward #ColoradoSprings #PrairieHillsElementarySchool #WiseRecyclers

Submitted by Kristin Coulter Denver Denver Metro Being kind is a powerful thing. It is the look of astonishment and gratitude that you see in a person’s eyes or it is the satisfaction you feel in giving an anonymous gift. It makes you feel like you are making a difference in the world. The girls of Cadette Girl Scout Troop 3573 recently were able to feel that power. Their troop gave them each a box of Thin Mint cookies. The girls’ mission, which they chose to accept, was to give them away. Now this isn’t as easy as it might sound. There were rules. Just what every sixth or seventh grade girl wants to hear, am I right? Like it or not, the girls couldn’t give their box as a gift to a friend or a family member. Bummer. The box was also not supposed to be a “hot potato” meaning something that they had to get rid of quickly. Double bummer. This was community service on a very personal level. They had two weeks to look for an opportunity to be kind to someone that they either knew or that didn’t know. They needed to give it to someone who wouldn’t be expecting a gesture of kindness and they could accept anything in return. Below are some of their experiences. “No one really likes substitute teachers so I gave my box of cookies to our substitute teacher.” Micaiah S. “I gave my box of cookies to my house cleaner. I don’t know her well and thought that she and her family would enjoy them.” Jane K. “I choose to give the box to my mailman because my dog has scared him and he has to deliver the mail no matter what.” Fiona S. “A boy was sitting alone on the bus because his friends ditched him. He looked sad. To cheer him up I gave him the box of cookies.” Aspen R. “I’m going to give my box of cookies to a girl that walks her dog past my house every day at 5 p.m. She just seems nice.” Lily L. “I left my box of cookies in our milk box for our milkman. He has to work in the dark so I wanted to give him a treat.” Fiona G. “I gave my box to a girl at school that helps me with guitar at lunch. She doesn’t have to help, but she does.” Hayley R. “I live close to a fire station. I knocked on the door and gave the cookies to the fireman that answered. He didn’t really know what to say, so I just said ‘Thank you’ and left.” Ellie W. “At school and I saw a boy who used to be my neighbor sitting by himself. I gave him the cookies and he just put them in his backpack. That’s okay because I know he liked them.” Waverly R. “I gave my box to a boy I see everyday waiting at a bus stop. I thought he could use a picker upper.” Morgan W. “I have a great math teacher so I gave my box of cookies to him.” Piper M. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #actsofkindness #communityservice #Denver

Submitted by Carmen Valdez Pueblo Pueblo and Southeastern Colorado So all my Girl Scout sisters, you know how much I love to talk about our amazing organization! I believe every girl and woman should be Girl Scout! I was invited to the CSU-P Move It this past Saturday, April 25th. This was an event to promote healthy living. I met about 20 girls and their families, and they all took me up on getting interested to join! And wait for it  … 3 adults signed on the dotted line! There were so many community organizations like Boys and Girls Club at this event. One of our Girl Scout partners in Pueblo, Menchies was there, she has got some moves! Pictured is me and my brand new Juliette Senior Girl Scout sans uniform. She invited girls and families to relay races to show Girl Scouts know how to “Move It” too! She also asked girls to join on my water breaks, LOL! She is super excited about getting her PA training and will be working on her Performer badge, it will be her first! Girls who are already Girl Scouts are always the best recruiters!! The event was fun and was a great way to show off Girl Scouts with children and families. I am looking forward to being out and about at Books in the Park, City Park events asking everyone I know ” Are you a Girl Scout?” Thanks Hilary, this is pure gold! ‘Til next time, same channel, read about my awesome adventures of: is it a bird? is it a plane? no it’s Super Girl Scout Recruiter WHOO HOO!:) This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too.