By STEVEN VIERA
Staff Writer
SOUTH RIVER — A group of girls thought that people should take better care of local parks.
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So they did something about it.
Girl Scout Troop 80308 of South River, comprised of 12 fourth-grade girls between the ages of nine and 10, served as the hosts to the event, “Pack the Picnic, Pack the Park,” at Fitzpatrick’s Field on June 18, International Picnic Day. The troop invited their community to join them in order to raise awareness of the importance of using the parks and keeping them clean.
“The more people appreciate our parks, the more they’ll keep them clean,” Troop Leader Jen Racek said.
According to Racek, the idea behind “Pack the Picnic, Pack the Park” arose when a girl in the troop saw profane graffiti in her local park and suggested organizing a cleanup. The troop reached out to South River Councilman Ryan Jones, and the girls began planning for the event by preparing crafts, deciding what activities to offer and reaching out to local businesses for their support and participation.
Because they are at the “Junior” level in Girl Scouts, holding “Pack the Picnic, Pack the Park” is also a way for Troop 80308 to achieve the Girl Scout Leadership Journey “Agent of Change” so the girls can earn their Bronze Award. Racek explained the three pillars of Girl Scout leadership philosophy — discover, connect and take action — and pointed out that the girls discovered their skills and potential, connected with Jones and took action by planning and hosting the event.
During the event, the Scouts created a volunteer list of residents who are interested in participating in park cleanups in the future.
“… Our troop can organize park cleanup days in different parks throughout the year and have a list of volunteers to call upon,” Racek said.
Activities at the event included henna tattoos, games, prizes, crafts and free lemonade for guests. The South River Fire Department and Ladies Auxiliary brought a fire engine to show the children, and the South River Public Library discussed its summer reading program.
“Empowering our youth is crucial to building a stronger community around town. I’m so proud of this troop of Girl Scouts for their hard work and effort to give back to South River and improve the quality of life for us all,” Jones said.
Racek said Troop 80308 is very active and has volunteered at a local food bank, participated in Clean Ocean Action’s Beach Sweeps and many other activities.
