Volunteer-A-Palooza Weekend
Our leadership model says that girls should discover, connect, and take action.
We lived these models this weekend!
What we have casually been calling Volunteer-A-Palooza has been a super busy weekend filled with making the world a better place!
We started the weekend off on Saturday headed to the Phillies game. Not only to take in the fun of the ball park but to partner up with the ball girls and their “Red Goes Green” initiative. Each girl was equipped with a “Red Goes Green” apron and bags to collect recyclable bottles from the game’s patrons.
In between innings, the girls made
their way up and down the aisles of their assigned section
collecting the recyclables. By the 7th inning, the bags were filled
with oodles of empty soda and water bottles. Two troops from the
Indian Valley Service Unit along with a troop from the North Penn
Valley Service Unit participated in this venture!
After leaving the Phils, we headed out for dinner and the back to
the Valley Forge Girl Scout Service Center where we spent the
night. We had to be up early on Sunday - really early!
All of the girls grumbled when the alarm went off at 4:00 a.m.
However, they knew our destination and quickly dressed and packed
their bags. We were out of the building by 5 a.m. and headed back
to Philadelphia for something very important - volunteering at the
Race for the Cure.
Month’s ago, the troop picked the “In the Pink” IPA (badge) to earn
this year. The award focuses on breast cancer awareness. Several
girls in the troop have personal and close connections to this
disease, so learning about early detection and prevention was
important to them all!
We were partnered up with the “I am the Cure” educational
campaigned. Armed with handouts, pink and lime green pom pom’s and
t-shirts, we headed to mile marker #2 along the race route.
The girls cheered and chanted excitedly
as the first runners passed us by. The race crowd thickened to a
solid group of people jogging along. And then they saw it - the
endless wall of people who were supporting the cause.
For nearly two hours the girls jumped
around, waved their pom poms, and chanted their cheer - “Notices
changes in your breast....I am the Cure!”
Their enthusiasm didn’t break as tens of thousands of people passed
us by. Each walker and survivor was welcomed with smiles and
cheers.
By noon, we all had sore throats and
were tuckered, but everyone was proud of what we did and our
efforts for the weekend.
Every once in a while, I have a “wow” moment where the girls just
amaze me. As their leader, I had the opportunity to watch the girls
have the courage and confidence on Saturday to deal with the public
and collect the bottles and recyclables. On Sunday, I witnessed the
culmination of two month’s efforts to discover and connect and take
action for breast cancer awareness.
-Tammy
IVSU Webmistress
Leader Brownie Troop 7058 & Cadette Troop 71515