The annual meeting of the Santa Barbara Chapter of the National Charity League was punctuated by a ceremony recognizing 14 of its members for outstanding community service. The National Charity League is an organization that promotes mother-daughter relationships through philanthropy and leadership training. Junior members of the organization, known as Ticktockers, work together with their mothers, known as Patronesses, in various aspects of volunteer and educational work. The girls range from 7th through 12th graders and are overseen by adult members.
Kirsten Dealy, a senior at Santa Barbara High School, was awarded the Senior Service Award for having the highest number of cumulative service hours in her years as a Ticktocker.
The Merci Award was given to Fiona Georgakis of Dos Pueblos High School for accumulating the most service hours in one year. Fiona served a total of 205 hours, most of which was spent in Cottage Hospital’s Neurology ward.
Many other girls received awards for their work as well such as Dos Pueblos High sophomore, Sara Van Valkenberg and her mother, Erin, who were presented with the Dian Gilchrist Mother-Daughter Chapter award. Erin’s daughter, Goleta Valley Middle Junior High 7th Grader, Lauren, received the Heart of Gold Award for 122 hours.
For the 2007-2008 year, the entire chapter of 236 women and their daughters totaled over 6,500 cumulative hours served at 16 philanthropies and volunteer services.