It took years of fund raising for Girl Scout Troop 13059 of Clarkston to make their trip to Belize.
“A three-year journey ended at about 1 a.m. on Monday morning, July 25,” said Girl Scout Leader Wendy Need. “I said good-bye to my girls and chaperones after an amazing trip that was three years in the planning and fundraising.”
The trip included exploring rain forests, Mayan temples, and barrier reefs, and also community service in local schools.
“It was a huge undertaking for eight teenage girls. In the end, it was a trip that none of us will forget anytime soon. As one girl wrote in my journal, ‘It was un-Belize-able,'” Need said.
The scouts met new friends and developed friendships that will last a lifetime, she said.
“I had the opportunity to watch eight amazing young women learn, grow, and give something back to each of the three Belizean areas we visited,” the scout leader said. “I watched them play, and embrace the Belizean kids with enthusiasm. I watched their wonder as they climbed Mayan temples and saw the beauty from the top and as they imagined how this amazing group of people built those temples and lived so many years ago. I watched them hold baby crocodiles and feed monkeys in the wild from a boat. I loved their complete joy as they swam with sharks, fish, turtles, stingrays and walk on the ocean floor. The thrill in their eyes as they zip lined through the canopy of the rain forest and over the river. The relaxation as they tubed through caves on the river.”
They also developed a new appreciation for life in America, and especially in Clarkston, she said.
“I send out a huge thank you to everyone in this great community who supported these girls in their journey to make a difference, not only for some kids in Belize, but also in themselves,” Need said. “It could not have happened without all the support of everyone who donated cans, bought cookies, bought Santa logs, had their friends flocked, ate at Sportsman’s Club, participated in a euchre tournament, or donated in some other way.”
– Phil Custodio