Girl Scouts of Tropical Florida honor community leaders at inaugural event

More than $90,000 raised for organization’s programs

Irela Bague, Pat Morris and Maria Alonso at the Girls Scouts of Tropical Florida Lifetime Leadership Luncheon. (WPLG)

VIRGINIA KEY, Fla. – Girl Scouts of Tropical Florida (GSTF) hosted its inaugural signature event, Lifetime of Leadership Luncheon, to honor the accomplishments and community impact of local professionals.

The luncheon was held at The Rusty Pelican in Virginia Key. The honorees included Maria Alonso, President and CEO, United Way of Miami-Dade who received the Community Partner of the Year Award and Irela Bagué, Former GSTF Board Chair and President and CEO of Bagué Group. She received the Trailblazer Award.

Recommended Videos



More than $90,000 was raised for GSTF programs. Carnival Cruise Line presented a $5,000 donation, from Girl Scout Alumna and Carnival Cruise Line President, Christine Duffy, who served as the luncheon keynote speaker.

“We have so many wonderful supporters, who allow us to deepen our local impact and serve more G.I.R.L.s (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-Taker, Leader)™ in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. It is our pleasure to recognize these outstanding individuals,” said Chelsea Wilkerson, Chief Executive Officer, GSTF.

Main sponsors were Publix Supermarket Charities, Audrey M. Edmonson, Chairperson Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners, Baptist Health South Florida, Florida Power & Light Company, Skyscanner, and The Ortega Foundation.

For more information on how to support GSTF or any upcoming events, visit www.girlscoutsfl.org.


About the Author:

Mayte Padron Cordones is an Emmy-award winning journalist and the director of WPLG's Community Relations Department, overseeing the station's outreach initiatives to benefit and strengthen the South Florida community.