Peabody Girl Scouts Find Break From Images of Terror and Tragedy at Dance

It was supposed to just be a fun mother-daughter dance with a Hollywood theme, but the night proved to be much more poignant for the 115 Girl Scouts, moms and other adults who turned out Monday at the Knights of Columbus hall.

Janis Marshall, a Peabody Girl Scout Troop Leader for her daughter's Junior Troop, tells Peabody Patch she organized the citywide dance as a fun event for the girls on their first day of school vacation. She believes it was even the first time all of Peabody's Girl Scouts got together for such an event.

But then two bombs exploded Monday afternoon at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three people and injured 190 others.

"Never did I imagine the horror that we would all see on our TV screens that afternoon," Marshall said. "I am overjoyed that the girls were able to get out of the house and away from the television to get together, meet new friends and have a great time with their friends and mothers."

She said the Knights of Columbus donated the use of the hall for the evening and the dance floor was packed all night long. Chick-fil-A also donated food and drinks and Hannaford Supermarket chipped in as well. The Scouts collected hundreds of items that were then donated to Haven from Hunger.

"All the work that it took to organize the event was worth it when I saw all the girls' smiles during the dance," Marshall said.

"In a week of terror and sadness, this was a night for the girls to make memories with friends they will not soon forget," she said.

Marshall plans to put on the dance again next year, she says, and this time possibly with a pajama party theme.