Standal earns Violet Richardson Award

On Feb. 13, Soroptimist International of Placerville, an international volunteer organization for business and professional women, presented El Dorado High School senior Whitney Standal with its Violet Richardson Award.

The annual award honors young women for volunteerism in their community.

Standal will receive a $500 cash award, just a few weeks prior to International Women’s Day, which celebrates the contributions of women to society.

Standal is a member of the Senior Leadership Team which was instrumental in developing and implementing a “clothes closet” at El Dorado school. It is her belief that in order to begin a change in culture, people must have the basics in life, food, shelter and clothing. Her team found many students in need of clothes to wear to school.

In addition to her active role in this project, Standal carries a 4.0 grade point average and is on the school’s varsity girls track and field team.

She volunteers with several other community programs.

Standal will now advance to the Soroptimist Sierra Nevada Region level, where a $1,000 Violet Richardson Award recipient will be selected.

At that level, an additional $1,000 will be contributed in honor of the recipient to her volunteer organization. The program culminates with a $2,500 award to the finalist’s volunteer organization.

The award honors young women for volunteer action. Founded in 1939, Soroptimist International of Placerville is part of Soroptimist International of the Americas.

Its mission is to improve the lives of women and girls, in local communities and throughout the world. Placerville members join with almost 95,000 Soroptimists in about 120 countries and territories worldwide to contribute time and financial support to community-based projects benefiting women.

For more information about how Soroptimist International of Placerville improves the lives of women and girls, contact club president Kaye Culver at 530-344-1476.