Prepared. For Life. Celebration

Garden State Council 2026 Prepared for Life Celebration event banner.

Honoring America250 Through Scouting

Thank you to everyone who joined us on Friday, April 24, 2026, at The Westin Mount Laurel for the 2026 Prepared. For Life. Celebration.

Held in honor of America250, this special evening brought together community leaders, supporters, volunteers, and Scouting families to celebrate the values that have shaped our nation—citizenship, leadership, service, and character—and the role Scouting plays in preparing young people to carry those values forward.

The evening included the presentation of Scouting America's national North Star Award to Frank Giordano, A.J. Kreimer, and Marc A. Rollo, and the Winthrop Rockefeller Award to Charles Allen and Ed and Pat Purdy, recognizing individuals whose leadership, philanthropy, and service have made a lasting impact on youth and communities across South Jersey.

Your support helps ensure more young people across South Jersey have access to the experiences that build confidence, leadership, and a lifelong commitment to service.

Unable to attend but still want to make an impact? We welcome your contribution at any time.

Thank You to Our 2025 Sponsors!

We are grateful for the generosity of this year's sponsors, whose support makes this event and our programs possible.

Archer and Greiner, P.C.

Archer law firm logo.

PSEG Nuclear

PSEG Nuclear logo.

Michael and Marietta Borinski

Gregg and Barbara Schulze Charitable Fund

River Front

Rowan University

Rowan University logo.

South Jersey Gas

South Jersey Gas logo.

Atlantic Trailer

Atlantic Trailer logo.

HQSI

HQSI company logo.

Charles Allen

Get in Touch

Interested in learning more about the Distinguished Citizens Awards or exploring sponsorship and support opportunities? We would love to hear from you.

Support Our Scouting Troops

Support can take many forms: Donate through Friends of Scouting, purchase popcorn or camp cards from a local Scout, attend our Women of Achievement dinner or regional Citizenship Awards dinners, and so much more. Your support of Scouting enables Garden State Council to support the experiences of nearly 5,000 youth throughout South Jersey!