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Ramona Girl Scouts strive to make world a better place

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From sprucing up the Welcome to Ramona sign and collecting donations for foster youth to serving military troops and providing clean water across the globe, the nearly 300 Girl Scouts of Ramona and surrounding areas strive to make the world a better place.

To celebrate the achievements of local Girl Scouts, the Sunrise Valley Service Unit — which serves Ramona, Julian, Borrego Springs and Warner Springs — recently held its seventh annual Court of Awards ceremony in Ramona. Girl Scout Cadettes Sarah Dean and Makena Jackson served as emcees for the occasion, which began with a flag ceremony.

“Thank you, Girl Scouts, for making your community, our nation and the world a better place,” said guest speaker Jo Dee C. Jacob, CEO of Girl Scouts San Diego.

She applauded the Ramona community for its strong support of the council-wide Operation Thin Mint® program, through which San Diego County and Imperial Valley residents send Girl Scout cookies and handwritten notes to deployed U.S. military troops.

The evening included an awards presentation for girls who recently completed comprehensive Take Action service projects with lasting, replicable impacts.

Girl Scout Ambassador Kalani Prokop of Troop 2208 earned the Gold Award, Girl Scouting’s highest honor. For her project, Kalani taught computer technology classes at the Ramona Senior Center to help the elderly communicate with loved ones through social media and email. She also covered the topic of cyber safety.

Five Girl Scout Cadettes earned Silver Awards. Sarah Mehelic, Justice Choate and Makena Jackson of Troop 8498 collected books and donated them to foster teens. Elizabeth Dean, also of Troop 8498, created a YouTube video to educate the public about supporting animal projects through 4-H club auctions.

Shannon Linder, a member of Troop 8423, devised a plan to help save lives: She persuaded manufacturers to add suicide prevention information to middle school planners. Shannon is among the youth delegates attending Girl Scouts of the USA’s National Convention in Utah this month. She also participates in Girl Scouts San Diego’s Global Arms of Advocacy program, learning about women’s issues worldwide and enacting change.

A record number of 22 Ramona Girl Scout Juniors earned Bronze Awards. Troop 8205 held an event where families of patients in Rady Children’s Hospital could make cards, crafts and dolls. The girls in Troop 8009 worked with four Ramona animal rescue centers to help support the organizations’ missions. Troop 8817 reached out to local homeless, personally distributing needed items to individuals on the streets.

During the ceremony, eight troops representing the different age levels of Girl Scouts described their adventures over the past year. Through stories and a slide show, they shared how much they love being Girl Scouts, and the positive impact they are having on their community and the world.

For example, they take pride in keeping the Welcome to Ramona sign clean and free of debris and weeds. Many troops also organize donation drives for the Ramona Food & Clothes Closet, and collect books and clothing for youngsters in foster care, as well as children in the Philippines.

Audience members sang “Make New Friends” and other classic Girl Scout songs and joined hands in a giant friendship circle.

Kim Newcomer — Sunrise Valley Service Unit manager and co-leader of Troop 8498 — was honored for her outstanding service to Girl Scouts. Her volunteer work has included organizing the Court of Awards event and helping coordinate the new use agreements between the San Diego County Parks and Recreation Department on behalf of Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts.

Volunteer Anne Marie Wilson was recognized as the driving force behind many events and activities, including an international World Thinking Day festival. Her enthusiastic attitude helped the Sunrise Valley Service Unit win the coveted “Spirit Stick” at Girl Scouts San Diego’s recent Volunteer Conference and Celebration.

Wilson leads an active, multi-age troop with a commitment to global service. Troop 8780 teamed up with Troops 8389, 8205 and 8848 to donate $1,500 in cookie proceeds to the nonprofit Give Clean Water. The funds were used to purchase water filters for rural schools in Fiji.

For more information about Girl Scouting opportunities in the Ramona area, contact Anne Marie Wilson at 858-610-4461 or runamuckranch@sbcglobal.net.

For general information, visit Girl Scouts San Diego’s website, www.sdgirlscouts.org, or call 619-298-8391.

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