Police Capt. Marylinda Arroyo, real estate agent Marsha Kotlyar and two students share how the organization made a difference in their lives
The One Hundred Committee of Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara presented its 34th annual Scholarship Event on May 5 at the Girls Inc. Goleta Valley Center on Hollister Avenue.
Event proceeds will go toward providing scholarship assistance so that any girl, regardless of her family's financial situation, can participate in Girls Inc.'s transformational programs.
"We are well on our way to achieve our event goal of $290,000," Kristen Weaver, Girls Inc.'s director of communications, told Noozhawk. "We are at $240,000 and still counting."
Preceding dinner and the panel discussion, a festive social hour took place in the courtyard, along with classroom tours of Girls Inc. programs, such as STEM. Later, groups of young women performed musical pieces in the theater room.
"Doing the performance was really great," performer Jamison said. "We got to have a say in the play and to make up the title." Performer Luna added: "It was hard for me to make friends. Working on the performance with other Girls Inc. members helped me break out of my shell."
A sit-down dinner was held in the center's gymnasium. The large room was transformed into a bright and sophisticated space where more than 150 guests enjoyed a dinner expertly catered by the Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara.
The gourmet menu featured insalta mista, beef tenderloin with whipped potatoes and crispy Brussel sprouts, or a vegetarian zucchini parmigiana, plus a dessert of white cake layered with white chocolate mousse and raspberry filling.
After a message from CEO Barbara Ben-Horin, Emmy-winning journalist and KEYT-TV anchor Beth Farnsworth served as the guest host, leading a panel discussion with current and former Girls Inc. members about the lasting impact of their experiences.
Panelists included Capt. Marylinda Arroyo of the Santa Barbara Police Department, Marsha Kotlyar, an agent with Berkshire Hathaway Real Estate, 10th-grader Roz and fifth-grader Fiona, the youngest panelist.
Arroyo was raised in Santa Barbara and attended Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara. In 2015, she became the first female sworn officer in the 115-year history of the Santa Barbara Police Department to be promoted to management rank, lieutenant.
She has received numerous commendations, including the prestigious Thomas H. Guerry Award for Outstanding Conflict Resolution and the Chief's Meritorious Award for assisting in saving the life of a fellow officer.
Kotlyar was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, and came to Girls Inc. when she moved to Santa Barbara at age 6. Girls Inc. was where she learned how to speak English and how to become a leader.
Today, she is a top-selling Berkshire Hathaway Real Estate agent, specializing in the sale of homes, beach properties and estates in Santa Barbara County. She is ranked the No. 4 agent among all Berkshire Hathaway Real Estate agents nationwide.
Roz has been coming to Girls Inc. since she was in kindergarten. Now a sophomore at San Marcos High School, she volunteers biweekly in the Boost! Tutoring Program, where she mentors first- and second-graders after school at the Goleta Valley Center. Roz attributes her desire to pursue personal growth and tackle challenges to her time at Girls Inc.
Event sponsors included Ginni Dreier, Stina Hans and Joel Kreiner, the Nurture Cottage, Connie and John Pearcy, Perri Harcourt, Margo and Jeffrey Barbakow, Diane McQuarie and Paul Wilson, Angelo Mozilo, Bui and Herb Simon, Anne Towbes, the Women Connect4Good Foundation, Christy Kelso, Connie and Richard Kennelly, Barbara Lowes, Montecito Bank & Trust, Natalie Orfalea, Maryan Schall, Wells Fargo Private Bank and many others.
Raffle prize donors were Vivienne Leebosh, Ginni Dreier and Hotel Belmond El Encanto in Santa Barbara.
Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara awarded $477,233 in financial assistance in the form of sliding scale scholarships and sibling discounts in 2018. This assistance made it possible for 461 girls to attend Girls Inc.'s after-school and CAMP IGNITE summer programs last year.
For more than 34 years, the One Hundred Committee, made up of women dedicated to the mission of inspiring all girls to be strong, smart and bold, has provided financial support for Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara. The committee's primary focus is to raise scholarship money to help girls ages 5 to 18 participate in Girls Inc. after-school and summer camp programs. The One Hundred Committee's signature fundraising event, held each spring, has consistently raised more than $200,000 each year.
For more than 60 years, Girls Inc. has inspired girls in the community to be strong, smart and bold. As one of 82 Girls Inc. affiliates in the United States and in Canada, it advances the rights and opportunities for girls through direct service and advocacy, based in the belief that every girl deserves the opportunity to grow up healthy, educated and independent.
In 2018, Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara served nearly 1,200 girls, ages 5 to 18, through after-school and summer camp programs, a dedicated teen center and a recreational-to-competitive gymnastics program.
Click here for more information about Girls Inc., or call 805.963.4757. Click here to make an online donation.
- Noozhawk contributing writer Rochelle Rose can be reached at [email protected] . Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkSociety, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Become a fan of Noozhawk on Facebook.