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Local Girl Scouts Earn Top Awards

Jan 04, 2016 01:42PM ● By Julie Slama

By Julie Slama

Sandy - Several Sandy Girl Scouts recently earned the top awards at their level and were honored at the Girl Scouts of Utah awards recognition on Oct. 24, 2015.

Girl Scouting’s highest award is the Gold Award and can be earned by a girl in ninth through 12th grade. Nineteen girls across the state earned their Gold Awards. The Silver Award is earned by middle school-aged girls, and 114 Scouts earned that distinction. The Bronze Award is designed for fourth- and fifth-grade students, and 374 girls earned that honor. Each award is based upon leadership, volunteer hours and a project that is sustainable that will improve the girls’ community. 

“Girls have hopes, ideas and dreams that when put into action can make an impact on society,” Girl Scouts of Utah chief executive officer Janet Frasier said. “Girl Scouting’s highest awards provide a platform for girls to make a difference.”

Seven Sandy Girl Scouts earned their Silver Award, including Riley Croll and Jessica Lathrop, who, with members of their troop, created cat toys to help homeless cats have a better life.

“I learned a very important life skill, which is how to sew,” Riley said. “I also learned computer skills because we made an instruction book on how to make cat toys. I liked that we were creative and got to make and create our own toys — and that we made cats happy. I hope that many people continue making our toys.” 

Other Silver Award recipients include Lilianne Carlston, who made bedtime bags of blankets, stuffed animals and books for kids in homeless shelters; Kathryn Penderghast, who, along with her troop, made items for girls with eating disorders; Marianna Weber, and her troop, who helped United Methodist Church with painting and maintenance work at their camp; Chloe Siebeneck, who helped at Camp Kostopulos to help break stereotypes of kids with special needs; and Karissa Powell, who volunteered at various facilities that care for the homeless with after-school programs for children.

Eleven Sandy Girl Scouts earned their Bronze Award. Their projects included helping with animals at Heart 4 Paws, Utah Humane Society, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, Tracy Aviary, fostering dogs and making a video about pet adoption, as well as assisting at Ronald McDonald House, Cooper Ridge Senior Center and other places in the community.

The Bronze recipients include Isa Altman, Isabella Hunt, Cadence Neal, Eliana Moreno, Elisabeth Penderghast, Hanna Putnam, Julia Schmick, Kayla Siebeneck, Abigail Slama-Catron, Chandra Tharpe and Shaelee Topham.