The stacks of pet food, cleaning supplies and toys filled several tables Tuesday as members of Great Bend Girl Scout Troop 11135 made a delivery to the Golden Belt Humane Society. They also presented Director Heather Acheson with a check for $750.
The donations were the result of a fundraiser held the previous Saturday, Aug. 11, outside the Walmart Supercenter, Troop Leader Cheryl Watts said.
“This project started last year when two Girl Scouts earned their Bronze Award by researching, planning, organizing and successfully completing a project to make a difference in our community,” Watts said. “The final outcome was a fundraiser for the Golden Belt Humane Society. They contacted the director to ask for items needed, made a flyer to hand to customers entering Walmart and asked these patrons to buy supplies during their shopping, or to give monetary donations.”
The cash donations were over $730 and the girls voted to use some of the troop’s money so they could round the check up to $750.
Looking over the impressive spread of donated items, Acheson told the girls they were actually responsible for additional donations. “A few people brought things out to us (after seeing the flyers at Walmart),” she said.
In addition to the two girls who earned Bronze Awards, three older Girl Scouts earned their Community Service Bar Award for helping with the project and other girls earned a Community Service patch, Watt said.
“By working together, they learned important leadership skills, discovered new passions, and watched how seemingly small actions can make a big difference,” Watts said. “In 2020, Troop 11135 delivered a large amount of supplies to the Golden Belt Humane Society and a check for $500.”
To qualify for a Bronze Award, a project must be sustainable, which is why the troop repeated the fundraiser this year. For 2021, they collected twice as many bags of dog and cat food, toys, treats, and supplies, along with more than $700.
The reaction to seeing the donations arrive was “definitely ... excitement and wow; they did an awesome job!” Acheson posted on the Humane Society’s Facebook page.
When visitation restricts prompted by COVID-19 are eased, she said, “We are very much looking forward to having them come back for a full on tour, treat making fun and meeting some of the shelter pets they have now helped by holding this supply drive.”
