Seven Pleasanton Girl Scouts received the Gold Award, the highest honor a Girl Scout can achieve, after the completion of several service projects across the community. The Girl Scouts are Christina Edholm, Anne Jensen, Alice Tasker, Jessica Hitchens, Melissa Easley, Jennifer Vincent and Kelly Groth. Edholm, Jensen, Tasker and Hitchens recently graduated from Foothill High School. Vincent and Groth will be seniors next year at Foothill and Amador Valley high schools, respectively. All the Girl Scouts are members of Troop 3991.
In order to earn the award, each scout must complete a project that takes at least 50 hours to complete and improves the lives of members in the community. Each Girl Scout took the project seriously and the range of projects is demonstrates their diverse interests.
Edholm organized, built and painted a bike shed for the Tri-Valley Haven in Livermore. Jensen researched and prepared a pamphlet about dating violence that is available for students in the attendance office and health classes at Foothill. Vincent organized a booth at the annual Science Fun Fair titled “Beware of Butts” that raised awareness about the dangers of smoking. She was inspired to do the project because her grandfather died of a smoking-related disease. Tasker organized a “Hair Raising” event for Locks of Love, a nonprofit organization that collects human hair to make wigs for children who have lost their hair due to illness. Forty people donated their hair at the event held at Hairlights Salon. Jensen got the idea after donating her own hair to the organization a year ago.
Easley and Hitchens completed their project together, organizing a Fitness Health Fair for Pleasanton residents in April. The fair offered activities such as karate and bicycle safety demonstrations, three-legged races, soccer games, obstacle courses and information on local health and fitness classes. Groth built two cat trees for the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ (SPCA) animal shelter. Having regularly volunteered at the shelter, Groth recognized the need and created the project.
Prior to undertaking the project, a Girl Scout must first earn badges and complete many hours of community service. Only one percent of all Girl Scouts earn their Gold Award.
–Rebecca Guyon
