On February 16, members of Girl Scout Troop 20084 coordinated the Brookfield Elementary Blood Drive with Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin. Through the preparation for and execution of the drive, the girls successfully completed their application for their Bronze Award.
The Bronze Award requires that each scout devote at least 20 hours to a sustainable community service project. The girls preparation for the drive included numerous zoom meetings to identify a need in the community and coordinate the drive amongst themselves and with Versiti and District leaders, researching and attending other community blood drives, and creating educational materials for students and families including informational videos and an online quiz.
"We are beyond proud of our Girl Scouts with regard to the epic project that they have worked together to accomplish!" said Girl Scout Troop 20084 leaders, Jessica Coleman and Heather Zgonc. "Girl Scouts provides invaluable opportunities for these amazing girls to have the courage and critical knowledge base to become the leaders of tomorrow. Even at this young age, the scouting program fosters a sense of civic duty within them and empowers them to make an impact on the world around them."
The Scouts researched, planned and executed every step of the drive with Versiti and even made t-shirts, blood drop pins, and thank you cards for all the workers and donors (and handed out Girl Scout cookies). The drive reached 137% of their donation goal, hosting 47 donors and collecting a total of 41 units for their 30-unit goal, which will help save up to 123 local patient lives. To take it one step further, the girls created a blood drive informational resource packet that they are providing to both Versiti and Brookfield Elementary that includes a culmination of their notes, best practices and important contact information for future student groups to utilize.
The Troop will be presented with their Bronze Award in a Highest Awards Celebration later this year by the Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast Council. Congratulations to the Girls of Troop 20084 and their proud Scout Leaders on this incredible accomplishment!
Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin provides blood to 56 hospitals in 29 Wisconsin counties and has partnered with Elmbrook to coordinate blood drives since March 2020. Learn how you can donate by visiting their website here.
Photos: (above: Troop 20084, below: Troop at Blood Drive)