Dessert Before Dinner: Girl Scout fundraiser puts best first

Liz Ortenburger, CEO of Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada, said that often people think of the organization as being all about cookies, camp and crafts, but she hopes attendees of the Dessert Before Dinner event on Sept. 26 will discover the wide range of activities in which the forward-looking nonprofit is involved.

"We'll have the opportunity to share the amazing things these girls are doing, from getting storm drains put in to their community, to putting wells in a Mexican village that never had potable water before," Ortenburger said. "The Girl Scouts have always wanted to help girls find a place for themselves in the future and forge their own path."

Dessert Before Dinner is scheduled from 6 to 9 p.m. Sept. 26 in the Augustus Ballroom at Caesars Palace, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. South. The fundraiser for the youth organization is set to bring some of the finest dessert chefs in the Las Vegas Valley together to create desserts using Girl Scout cookies.

Cindy Werth, pastry chef at the Stratosphere, said she has been participating since the inaugural Dessert Before Dinner and hasn't missed one yet. Last year, using Shortbread Girl Scout cookies, she created a bread pudding with bananas Foster sauce on top.

"The people seemed to enjoy it," Werth said. "I came in second runner-up."

Werth is excited to participate in the event and competition again this year. Like all the participants, she's keeping what she'll be making for the event a secret. She's participating in part for the fun and glory, she said, but also enjoys bringing attention to the Girl Scouts because she used to be one.

"I got a Merit Badge for cooking," she said. "The badges look so different these days."

It's not just the badges that look different, but the process of earning them.

"The cooking badge we have now is about outdoor cooking," Ortenburger said. "The girls learn not just how to cook at a grill but how to cook on the trail and the challenges of making several different meals with one pot."

The modern Girl Scouts organization doesn't limit itself to traditional badges related to camping and crafting. Badges also are available in a wide range of modern activities, including cross training, business etiquette, digital filmmaking, geocaching and more. There is even an option for girls to create their own program and badge.

"We have about 15 to 20 badges per age group," Ortenburger said. "We also have larger projects called journeys, which allow girls to focus on a project for a longer time."

Ortenburger said that it's not unusual for a troop to work on a journey for a year, earning several badges in the process and then take a few months to work on a simpler goal to earn a badge before embarking on another journey.

In addition to the competition, seven women are set to be honored for their work in Southern Nevada, including Elizabeth Blau, Robin Greenspun, Dawn Mack, Rose McKinney-James, Anita Romero, Marilyn Winn Spiegel and Heidi Straus.

Tickets are $300, and a limited number are available. Visit tinyurl.com/gsdessert or call 702-385-3677.

— To reach East Valley View reporter F. Andrew Taylor, email ataylor@viewnews.com or call 702-380-4532.