By Catherine Amoriello
The Country Club of York was filled with excitement and gratitude on Sept. 14 as Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania (GSHPA) hosted its Women of Distinction Celebration event which raised over $150,000 for Girl Scouts.
More than 200 guests attended the celebration to support Girl Scouts and honor five outstanding women who represent the foundation of Girl Scouting. GSHPA recognized Marion Nivert as this year’s recipient of the GSHPA Generational Award which celebrates those who have lived by and shared the values of Girl Scouts with their community and future generations. Dr. Pamela Gunter-Smith, president of York College, was recognized as the STEM honoree; Kim Lemon, former senior anchor for WGAL, was recognized as the life skills honoree; Betsy Hamm, CEO for Duck Donuts, was recognized as the entrepreneurship honoree; and Shannon Gority, owner and principal consultant for Raindrop to River Consulting, was recognized as the outdoors honoree.
STEM, life skills, entrepreneurship, and outdoors are all components of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE). As champions of women in leadership roles, Gunter-Smith, Lemon, Hamm, and Gority each embody a component of Girl Scouting and serve as positive role models and figures of inspiration to girls and women in our local communities.
At the event, guests enjoyed a cocktail reception and served dinner while they heard from speakers Deb Bogdanski, GSHPA COO; the Women of Distinction honorees; and 2020 Gold Award recipient and former Girl Scout Carley Furlow. The program finished with an exciting live auction.
The fun continued after the event as guests made their way outside to take part in a Girl Scout tradition – s’mores around a camp fire! Attendees gathered around fire pits to close out the evening of celebration in true Girl Scout fashion – by enjoying a tasty treat alongside new friends in the outdoors.
Didn’t get a chance to attend this year’s celebration? Check out the photo gallery below to experience GSHPA’s 2022 Women of Distinction Celebration event for yourself!
The Women of Distinction honoree awards are displayed before the ceremony. 
Silent auction items are available for attendees to bid on during cocktail hour. 
Girl Scout uniforms and memorabilia are displayed for guests to view. 
Guests enjoy a photo-op during cocktail hour. 
Girl Scout acquaintances connect during cocktail hour. 
Rosalyn Ward (left) and Linda Castagna, a Juliette Gordon Low Society member, pose for a photo during cocktail hour. 
More than 200 guests take their seats in the ballroom as the program begins. 
Lori Burkholder, co-anchor of News 8 Today with WGAL, kicks off the evening as event emcee. 
Deb Bogdanski, GSHPA COO, shares a welcome message with the audience. 
Kim Lemon, former senior anchor for WGAL, accepts the life skills pillar award. 
Shannon Gority, owner and principal consultant of Raindrop to River Consulting, accepts the outdoors pillar award. 
Betsy Hamm, CEO of Duck Donuts, accepts the entrepreneurship pillar award. 
Dr. Pamela Gunter-Smith, president of York College, accepts the STEM pillar award. 
Leslie Manning (left), Amy Williams (center), and Doris Stamper accept the GSHPA Generational Award on behalf of Marion Nivert. 
Carley Furlow, a former Girl Scout, shares her Girl Scout journey with the audience. 
Guests make their bids during the live auction. 
Fire pits are lit for attendees to stop by and make a s’more to end their night of celebration. 
From left: Betsy Hamm, entrepreneurship honoree; Dr. Pamela Gunter-Smith, STEM honoree; Lori Burkholder, event emcee; Shannon Gority, outdoors honoree; and Kim Lemon, life skills honoree, gather for a photo at the Country Club of York.
GSHPA Blog 