Friday, October 26, 2018

Girl Scout Rachael has earned her Silver Award

Rachael and her friend Jasmine.
Rachael Morgan has earned the Girl Scout Silver Award, the second highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouts.

For her project, “Wigs for Kids,” Rachael drew on inspiration from her friend Jasmine who received a wig from the organization after losing her hair due to alopecia, a condition that causes hair loss. Rachael decided to make a difference in the lives of other children who had lost their hair due to chemotherapy, radiation therapy, alopecia, trichotillomania, burns and other serious diseases. She held a cut-a-thon at Great Clips in Newport News where she collected hair to donate to Wigs for Kids and even cut her own hair to give back to the cause.

"I have watched my friend Jasmine lose what little hair she did have over the years and it made me really sad. I have always had thick hair and it grows really fast and I thought that this would be an easy way for me to give something to someone who didn't have any hair. I knew that Jasmine wouldn't get my red hair, but some other boy or girl would," Rachael said.

Rachael demonstrated leadership skills during her project by organizing and promoting the cut-a-thon. Great Clips gave free haircuts to anybody who donated 12 inches or more of their hair.

The Girl Scout Silver Award is the top award that middle school age Girl Scouts can earn. To earn the award, girls have to identify a need in the community and carry out a Take Action project to address the matter through leadership work.