Scouts hand out ‘Panda’ award honors to helpful community partners
Published 1:59 pm Tuesday, May 13, 2025
Athens Mayor Ronnie Marks accepts an award at the Girls Scouts event. Courtesy photo
Daisy Troop 21033 at an event thanking members of the Athens community who have helped and supported them. Courtesy photo
Athens Mayor Ronnie Marks accepts an award at the Girls Scouts event. Courtesy photo
Each Panda Partner Award recipient was given a panda trophy designed and 3D printed by troop parent Corey O’Neil. Courtesy photo
In the wake of Girl Scout Cookie season for 2025, Daisy Troop 21033 in Athens set out on a mission to thank members of the local community who have helped and supported them all along the way.
The Daisies brought their idea to fruition on Thursday, May 8, hosting the second Community Partner Awards Ceremony at Kares Library on the campus of Athens State University.
Troop 21033 started by inviting other troops in their area — Service Unit 210 — to nominate community members for recognition. From there, the scouts planned the ceremony by choosing the decorations, food, beverages, and attire. They landed on naming this year’s event the “Panda Partner Awards.” Each Girl Scout did her part to help the afternoon run smoothly by decorating, handing out programs and welcoming guests.
The theme for this year’s ceremony was inspired by Mei Lin the panda — this year’s Girl Scout Cookie mascot. Each Panda Partner Award recipient was given a panda trophy designed and 3D printed by tech-savvy troop parent Corey O’Neil. Mei Lin herself even made an appearance at the event, much to the delight of all the girls.
Honorees from this year’s Community Partner Panda Awards include:
City of Ardmore
— Ardmore Town Parks
— Ardmore Community Baptist Church
— Keep Athens Limestone Beautiful (KALB)
— L & S Store
City of Athens
— Athens First Methodist Church
— Mayor Ronnie Marks
— Peaches and Cream Playcare
— Refuge Church
Athens State University
— Dr. Toni Carter, Director of Kares Library/Senior Librarian
— Dr. Kris Erskine, Assistant Professor of History/Social Science Education
— Dr. Alyson Gill, Provost
— Laura Kerner, College of Business
— Dr. Kim LaFevor, Professor of Human Resources/Management
— Dr. Jessica Spowart, Assistant Professor of Art/Graphic Design
— Dr. Catherine Wehlburg, President
— Jennifer Wolfe, Teaching & Learning Librarian
About Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama
Girl Scouting gives every girl access to life-changing experiences that inspire her to do something big. Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama is more than 11,000 strong across 36 counties in North Central Alabama. For more information, call 800-734-4541 or visit girlscoutsnca.org.
