Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Gold Award Spotlight: A Kayak Storage Rack for Veterans

Natalie has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award—the highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouting.

A graduate of First Colonial High School, Natalie has been a Girl Scout since she was in First Grade!

For her project, she raised more than $1,000 to build a kayak storage rack at LZGrace, a local organization that provides care for veterans and first responders.

To raise the needed funds, Natalie organized a community yard sale where she gathered donated items from friends, family and neighbors. Instead of putting prices on each item, Natalie simply asked for whatever donation each customer would like to give.

“I had many veterans that attended the sale and they were very excited to hear about what I was doing,” Natalie said.

After raising enough money, Natalie purchased the materials to make her plan a reality. Along with a small team, Natalie designed and built and the kayak rack herself!

With the addition of the kayak storage rack, veterans receiving care at the organization can now add kayaking to the list of activities to enjoy.

“There are many problems that these warriors go through,” Natalie said. “One of the more severe issues these warriors go through is suffering from PTSD.”

Natalie worked with the organization’s leaders to ensure the future maintenance of the storage rack. The addition of the rack has made it possible for LZGrace to purchase additional kayaks for their clients to use.