Annually, the Central Florida Council of the Boy Scouts of America (soon to be called Souting America) gathers to honor someone in Osceola County who embodies and applies Scouting’s principles in their everyday and professional life.
In a “home game” for this year’s honoree at Osceola Heritage Park, OHP’s General Manager, Robb Larson, was named this year’s honoree Tuesday, April 30. Larson, a self-described basketball junkie who enjoys a good victory, used that platform to help raise money for the Central Florida Council and compete with his good friend, Osceola County Manager and 2023 Golden Eagle honoree Don Fisher. Larson attempted to raise more money that Fisher did last year, and while Larson won’t walk away with the ‘W’ on that one, the hundreds of community leaders and members of the business community who attended combined to raise over $75,000.
Larson, who helped bring the Osceola Magic to town and oversees productions that run the Mecum Auto Auction, Osceola County Fair, Country Thunder and other big affairs, was lauded for his, “Unwavering commitment to the Osceola County community.”
He was described by event emcee Adrianna Sekula as a “dedicated family man, honest businessman and authentically humble person.”
As if on cue, Larson talked of being “honored and humbled” to be honored.
“This award is very special to me. It was a ‘Justice League’ of superheroes who came together to put this on,” he said. “I want to thank my team; we welcome 750,000 people a year and they work non-stop, they have my blind spots.”
Larson made note of a study that said Scouts are more likely to have a greater sense of hope for the future.
“In this day and age, hope helps get me through my life. We live in a world where people are angry, fearful and have a lot of anxiety. Hope is the belief that your future will be better than the present, and you have the ability to make it happen. It involves both optimism and a can-do attitude. This room is filled with hope. I challenge all of us to help deliver that message to the youth of today.
“The Boy Scouts create leaders. ‘Only he can be a leader who never loses hope,’ said Gandhi. There’s a lot of kids who need to learn that lesson.”
Eagle Scout Andrew Martinez told of how Scouting, which provides a high-quality program built on camaraderie and adventure that builds leadership skills and character, has had a profound impact on his young life.
“There’s a place for every young person regardless of their background or abilities in Scouting,” he said. “It has made an impact on me and thousands of others here in Central Florida.”
To make a contribution to Scouts in Osceola County, go online to www.cflscouting.org/ged/ and click on DONATE under the Osceola Dinner line.
