PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) — Saturday was a monumental day for a local sorority chapter. The Xi Omicron Omega chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated celebrated Founders’ Day in Callaway.

Every year the women of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated recognize the remarkable women who founded the organization in 1908.

“We are 355,000 women strong and have over 1,061 chapters across the world,” Chapter President Karen Parham said. “Today, Xi Omicron Omega Chapter joins with our community together in fellowship to remember our founders who paved the way for us to share such a wonderful and endearing sisterhood.”

This year, there was a very special guest at the banquet. President of ABC News Kimberly Godwin, an Oscar Patterson Elementary alum, returned to her hometown for the occasion.

“Born in the tiny town of Panama City, Florida and raised in the tough neighborhoods in New York City, descended from slaves and raised by a single mother attending public schools and an HBCU, accepted into the world’s first and finest black sorority can dream of one day becoming a network news president and then actually become one,” Godwin said.

Godwin has been friends with Lynn Haven city manager Vickie Gainer for more than 20 years. Gainer said it is an honor to have her speak at such an important event for many women in the bay county community.

“I know her to be that person who always wants to give back to the community,” Gainer said. “When Kim moved back here, she actually joined this chapter for a while and we got to know her, even many of the members got to know her even better and so this is almost like a homecoming for her coming back speaking as President of ABC News and so we’re pretty excited.”

Godwin said Gainer is a big reason she was so active in the community.

“Before I knew it, I was producing the annual videos, I was on TV talking about fundraisers, I was helping to organize annual lunches and dinners and raising money so that our kids could have better daycare and our food banks would have food,” Godwin said. “But, just like our founders envisioned two women who had pledged different chapters of Alpha Kappa Alpha finding each other later in life and still being true to our mission.”

That mission is something the local charter has put into action for the last 40 years.

“Supporting various local and national charities, and believing in strong community involvement and partnerships,” Parham said.

At the Lynn Haven commission meeting this past Tuesday, a proclamation was signed to recognize the commitment and community service of the Xi Omicron Omega chapter.