Everett Girl Scouts volunteer on D.C. trip
Girl Scout Troop 52148, a group of 14- to 16-year-old girls from Everett, began planning for an East Coast trip while working on their Bronze Award in 2008.
In 2009, the troop set goals for Girl Scout cookie sales and decided to sell crafts at various sales. This summer, they finally had enough money to fly to the nation’s capital for an eight-day visit.
Elizabeth Ackerson, 16, Michelle Raines, 16, Dana Smith, 14, Emma Kate Ramsey, 14, Ann Barrett, 15, and Casady Joiner, 15, sold cookies and crafts to family, neighbors and friends to fund their trip.
In Washington, D.C., the girls volunteered in the National Congressional Cemetery clearing out an overgrown portion of a garden facing the street.
They also made and distributed bags to homeless people. The bags contained instant noodle soup and oatmeal, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, granola bars and a pair of socks.
When not working, they visited the war memorials and presidential monuments and most of the Smithsonian museums, where they saw several displays in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scouts.
The troop plans to create an informational slide show to encourage similar trips and projects by other Girl Scouts.
Purrfect Pals grant helps low-income cat owners
Purrfect Pals near Smokey Point has received a $5,000 grant award from the Washington State Federation of Animal Care and Control Agencies.
The money should provide for more than 170 spay or neuter surgeries for cats belonging to low-income families in Snohomish County.
The funds for the grant were made possible by the sale of state “We Love Our Pets” vehicle license plates. Revenue from the sales of these license plates was earmarked through an agreement with the state for surgeries for dogs and cats. Since 2007, the federation has awarded $279,000 in license plate grant funds to qualifying animal welfare organizations, enabling the completion of nearly 10,250 spay and neuter surgeries.
Purrfect Pals, a non-profit, no-kill cat shelter and sanctuary, is located at 230 McRae Road. Free spay and neuter surgeries are available weekly.
Appointments can be made by calling the shelter, 360-652-9611 or emailing cats@purrfectpals.org.
More information is at www.purrfectpals.org.
TOPS donates to state Special Olympics
TOPS group 1116 in Marysville has donated $50 to Washington Special Olympics.
The weight-loss support group meets at 10 a.m. Wednesdays at Marysville Free Methodist Church, Grove and 67th streets.
To submit news for the Applause column, contact reporter Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427; gfiege@heraldnet.com.
