At the annual Girls Recognition and Awards Tea the Zonta Club of Ottawa congratulated 37 girls from 10 local schools for their citizenship and good character.

Ottawa’s Zonta Club President Becky Keene welcomed the girls and their guardians. The Girls’ Tea Chairwomen Linda Barra and Kathy Mattes coordinated the event.

The honorees, from area third and fourth grades, are chosen by their teachers for outstanding citizenship qualities.

The following schools represented and honorees were represented.

Grand Ridge School: Elizabeth Graham, Stella Emm and Myka Michlik; Jefferson School: Mandi Hill, Amelia Harstad, Maeby Carmona, Audrey McCambridge, Kinley Coughlin and Bella Zuber; Rutland School: Mariany Valdez and Lia Liang; McKinley School: Brooke Baxter, Elsa Okumu and Addison Donahue; Marquette Academy: Therese Bullock and Leah Michelini; Marseilles Elementary: Lainey-Rae Morris, Finnley Wren, Gianna Rambeau and Annallieze Kesler-Galvan; Seneca School: Olivia Barr, Serenity Sterling-Pizzio, Lily Buberle, Claudia Stilwell, Jocelyn Lee and Rosalee Harty; Wallace School: Elsie Nanouski, Alexis Samaniego, Stella Andree and Audrey Riewaldt; Lincoln School: Gia Brown, Harper Johnson, Isabella Hardt, Kylinn Willet and Sapphira Stayton; Waltham Elementary: Zaina Harp and Evelyn Sereno.

Zonta International strives to build a better world for women and girls. The women of the Zonta Club of Ottawa are executives and professionals in the area. Zonta also has clubs in Streator and in the La Salle-Peru area.

Local projects include supporting victims of domestic violence and sexual assault through the Safe Journeys organization, the Zonta Says No to Domestic Violence program, the Red Stocking program, college scholarships, and an awards dinner for Women in Leadership in the Ottawa area.

Contact Ilse Bute at 815-434-5244 or at omabute@yahoo.com for more information on membership or to offer financial support. For more information on Zonta International’s mission, go to www.zonta.org