The Gold Award is the highest rank a girl scout can obtain. Local girl scouts have done a variety of projects in the past to reach this status, such as renovating the Family Resource Center Gym or hosting a Tricky Tray Bake Sale.
For two Nanuet High School Juniors, Katherine Filatov and Alyson Fintzy have been busy organizing the upcoming ‘Make a Difference Rockland’ event for their gold award project, which is a public meet and greet where the community can interact with local non profit organizations. It is also an opportunity for the public to see the non-profit services and volunteer opportunities.
"The gold award ... it is a leadership award where girls go into the community and address an issue," said Finzy. "Community resources are then used to create a lasting impact that will be on going after the project is completed."
The girls have been together in girl scouts for 11 years, since Kindergarten. They have earned both their Bronze Award and Silver Award in order to get to this point. For the Bronze Award they helped a Daisy troop earn their petals. For the Silver Award their troop ran a day where Brownies could earn a Try-It patch and they individually painted garbage cans for Keep Rockland Beautiful.
People can inquire about membership, volunteer, and donor opportunities. More than 50 non-profit organizations will be attending the event with tables and booths.
"Besides Girl Scouts, I am an active student at my high school," said Filatov. "I play on the varsity field hockey team, act in the plays, play in the band, jazz band, and symphony orchestra, am an active member of VASSA (Varsity Athletes Against Substance Abuse), and I am also a member of the Math League. I am excited for this event to take place and I cannot wait to earn get my Gold Award."
The event is on Tuesday, Nov. 13 at the Nanuet Senior High School gym from 3:30 – 7 p.m. For more information, please contact RoseAnn Mercado at 845-627-4889, or email her at rmercado@nanuetsd.org
“Both girls feel earning these awards has taught them the value in helping out your community,” said Filatov’s mother Lisa. “It is important to be involved and to try to help out anywhere you can. That is why they have chosen to run the Make A Difference Rockland event as their Gold Award project.”
To keep the message of this this event going, there will be a free film presentation of "A Small Act" just next door at the Nanuet Library at 7:30 p.m.
