HERALD PHOTO BY BETSY WILLIAMS
Port Charlotte High School graduate Jessica Porter was one of the Girl Scout Gold Award recipients. This is the highest award a Girl Scout can receive. Porter has spent 13 years in Girl Scouts, and her final project was “The Ripple Effect,” which she organized to implement recycling in schools. Receiving a grant from PepsiCo (sic) and partnering with Charlotte County Waste Management and Keep Charlotte Beautiful, Porter created a PowerPoint presentation that will now be used in schools, as well as a commercial that will be aired in schools and on Comcast.

HERALD PHOTO BY BETSY WILLIAMS
Girl Scout Gold Award and scholarship recipients honored during the May 20 event are Stevie Peacock, Sandy Arthur, Kaitlyn French, Regan Walker, Jessica Porter, Jessica Gross, Heather Hanwacker, Brittany Ring and Kristin Kayser.

HERALD PHOTO BY BETSY WILLIAMS
Brittney Smith, 12, and Chalyn Walsh, 10, Cadet Scouts with Troop 510 in Port Charlotte, met Gail Dix of Cape Coral, who was playing the role of Girl Scout founder Juliette Gordon Low during the Girl Scout Recognition Ceremony.

HERALD PHOTO BY BETSY WILLIAMS
Twins Lexy and Faith Hill, 6, are members of Girl Scout Troop 89 and students at Toledo Blade Elementary. The North Port girls volunteered during the event by boxing up donations brought to the luncheon for the Charlotte County Homeless Coalition.

HERALD PHOTO BY BETSY WILLIAMS
Once a Girl Scout, always a Girl Scout. Jean Ward-Nickelson, Lori Tomlinson and Nancy Corless share a “Scout hug” upon seeing each other after the luncheon and before the awards ceremony.

HERALD PHOTO BY BETSY WILLIAMS
Sponsors for the 2012 Girl Recognition Ceremony and luncheon event are Dr. Cheech Hill, honorary event chair Garnett Scholl, Richard Cyphers, a representative from Publix Charities, and Rae Dowling with Florida Power & Light.

HERALD PHOTO BY BETSY WILLIAMS
Kaylee Alsip, 9, a member of Girl Scout Troop 405 in Lehigh Acres, and Abigail Adams, 11, from Girl Scout Troop 676 in North Port show off their badges.

HERALD PHOTO BY BETSY WILLIAMS
The Chupein sisters — Brooke and Genevieve — join their mother Mona, a co-leader of Girl Scout Troop 98, which meets at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Punta Gorda, met Gail Dix of Cape Coral, who was playing the role of Girl Scout founder Juliette Gordon Low during the Girl Recognition Ceremony. The Chupein sisters received the Cookie Award, meaning they sold 1,000 or more boxes this year.