Whiz Kids Go For Gold: Girl Scouts of Troop 1443

Congratulations Jacqueline, Dana, Brittany, Hayley and Carley, you’re this week's Whiz Kids!

Who: Jacqueline Cosgrove, 16; Dana Condulis, 16; Brittany Kritis, 17; Hayley Giumenta, 16; Carley Phelan, 16

 School: Garden City High School

Accomplishments: Troop 1443 has been working together since first grade. It’s been a long road and it has taken a lot of hard work to get to this point. The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest and most prestigious award that Girl Scout seniors and ambassadors can earn. 

Key to Awesomeness: Jacqueline is recycling wheelchairs, walkers, canes and crutches which will be donated to United Cerebral Palsy Association of Nassau County, St. Anne’s Church and Met Council of The Bronx. Her goal is to help alleviate the burden of purchasing these items for people in need. She was inspired by her mother who was forced to use a walker when she broke her ankle. Jacqueline was 11 at the time and wondered how people who didn’t have insurance could have access to this equipment.

Dana is compiling “Books in a Bag” that will feature books, puzzles and games for disadvantaged childen. She is planning on donating them to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Long Island and the Interfaith Nutrition Network’s (INN) emergency shelters. Dana’s project was influenced by time she spent volunteering at a Big Brothers Big Sisters picnic. Dana expanded her project to include the INN's emergency shelters to try and reach more Long Island kids who would benefit.

Brittany’s project involves teaching young girls about the importance of eye care and showing them what it’s like to be visually impaired. Her project is called “I Can See Clearly Now.” When Brittany first started wearing glasses she started to realize how important her eyesight was. She has been conducting classes at Girl Scout meetings and during religion classes to raise eye care awareness.

Hayley chose to raise awareness regarding hunger on Long Island. Hayley has been conducting classes at Girl Scout meetings and at church. Her presentation details facts about hunger on Long Island. Hayley has also been running a food drive for the Mary Brennan Inn. In conjunction with Garden City Community Church, Hayley participated in a World Vision 30-Hour Famine which raises awareness and money to fight hunger both overseas and nationally. The fast allowed Hayley to experience what the poorest children and families face every day.

Carley's gold project focuses on increasing the pool of potential bone marrow donors. Her objective is to educate adults and teens about the importance of identifying their bone marrow/blood type. Carley teamed up with the Be The Match Foundation and learned how difficult it is for people who are fighting life threatening diseases to find donors. The recipient must match their bone marrow and blood type exactly with the donor. There's a shortage of people who are ready to donate. The Be The Match Foundation is offering a free kit which determines your blood and bone marrow with just a simple swab of the cheek. Kits can be obtained by signing up online at www.marrow.org. Carley has worked on raising awareness as well as encouraging people to request a kit. She has created an online blog and spoke at PTA meetings and various organizations. She has succeeded in getting a number of people tested. It's her hope that her efforts help save a life.

If interested in donating items for any of these projects contact mcosgrove@hertz.com.