We swell with pride when we hear about local kids being good citizens and meeting the needs of others in the community. The Girl Scouts of Western Oklahoma recently recognized seven local girls with Gold Awards, the highest achievement in Girl Scouting. These girls were awarded for their outstanding community achievements. Read about their work below.
Katie Prior: This 14-year-old homeschool student is one of the youngest Gold Award recipients in the program’s history. She formed the Youth Trumpet & Taps Corps, a group of high school and college trumpet players who volunteer to sound “Taps” at the funerals of veterans. With more than 1,500 veteran funerals per day, some veterans receive a recorded version of the iconic song instead of a live performance. Through recruiting 26 student volunteers in Texas and Oklahoma, Prior’s efforts have provided a patriotic music experience for more than 2,000 people since last June.
Madison Caston: After seeing several classmates lose their homes in the spring 2013 storms, this Moore High school senior recruited her friends to travel tornado-damaged neighborhoods to paint new house numbers on curbs and provide Family Emergency Plan packets to use in case of another weather emergency.
Cara Williamson: This Westmoore High School student decided to use her passion for volleyball for a good cause. She created Volley with SKIL (Supporting Kids in Independent Living) and hosted a volleyball tournament to raise awareness about Youth Services for Oklahoma County. The proceeds from the event restocked the pantry and decorated four apartments for Youth Services.
Rachel Cloos: This Classen School of Advanced Studies senior founded a teen board with the Oklahoma Foundation for the Disabled (OKFD) to give teens a chance to learn about disabilities and give OKFD clients a chance to interact with teens in a positive way. Board members serve for a year to increase awareness of the OKFD among high school students.
Jenifer Lopez: To inspire others to give back to their church, this Mount St. Mary High School student updated the worship center at Rock Creek Christian Camp by restoring the pews, building birdhouses and refurbishing camp signs.
Lauren Floyd: To improve the enrichment of zoo animals, this Southmoore High School senior created Project Box, an enrichment box provided to orangutans at the Oklahoma City Zoo for a more stimulating and interactive environment. She also spoke to other students about the needs of zoo animals and made her box plans available to zoos across the country.
Samantha Mas: This Moore High School student designed Stay Afloat, a program to address unsafe water activities and drowning deaths. She collected donations and created life jacket loaner stations for Fort Cobb Lake where visitors can rent life jackets for the day.
