Girl Scouts earn honor with Larkin Center event

Anne Flaherty and Hilary Walker utilized style and flair to earn their Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor in Girl Scouting, and created the "Sunnyside Clothing Drive."

The girls collected new and gently used fashionable clothing from local businesses and held shopping day at The Larkin Center in Elgin for older children. The girls were able to complete their project with additional help from local churches, schools and their peers.

Using the clothing collected through the "Sunnyside Clothing Drive", the girls sponsored a "shopping day" last spring for older children living at the Larkin Center in Elgin. Flaherty noted that children often come to the Larkin Center under difficult circumstances, usually on very short notice and with only a few belongings. With that in mind, the "Sunnyside Clothing Drive" allowed shoppers to come and select as many items of clothing as they wished from this very special store.

The "Sunnyside Clothing Drive" will be held again next spring because the girls have recruited volunteers to continue the project to help meet the needs of the young people housed at the Larkin Center.

The Girl Scout Gold Award is a national award that represents a girl's commitment to herself and her community. Girls working on the award focus on leadership, career exploration, and personal challenges along with developing and carrying out a lasting project that benefits the community. The Girl Scout Gold Award requires several prerequisites before girls can embark on their final project which requires a minimum of 65 hours per girl.