girl scouts of the colonial coast |
| Rachael and her friend Jasmine. |
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.
