Floral Park Girl Scouts to help veterans

Rebecca Klar
Girl Scouts Troop 1622 presents to the Floral Park Board of Trustees on Nov. 22 about their Silver Award project. (Photo by Rebecca Klar)

The Girl Scout troop 1622 are en route to receiving their Silver Award.

Four of the five-member troop presented to the Floral Park Board of Trustees during the Nov. 21 meeting. For their project, they need the board’s approval to use Memorial Park.

The troop is working the the Floral Park American Legion, as well as with Canine Companions for Independence to raise money to pair a veteran with a service dog.

The girls, all seventh graders, are planning to create poppy flowers for Veterans to hand out on Memorial Day, according to their presentation.

Tied to each poppy is a ribbon with the veteran’s name, the girls said. Veterans or their loved ones can make a donation of $20 to take the poppy home as a keepsake after the Memorial Day display.

The project is also eco-friendly. The girls said the poppies will be made from recycled soda bottles. The project also requires “elbow grease,” and each poppy takes about 20 minutes to create, according to the girls.

Matt Cacciatore, post commander of the Floral Park American Legion, attended Tuesday’s meeting and said that he and all of the Floral Park American Legion members are proud to support the troop, and look forward to working with them as the project goes forward.

Although the board has to wait to formally vote, Mayor Dominick Longobardi said he think’s it’s a wonderful idea.

“I’m so glad you’re working on your Silver Award,” Longobardi said after the girls’ presentation. “And keep going, because there’s the gold award after that … Scouting is a very important part of Floral Park, so keep that going for us. Thank you.”

Longobardi also thanked Cacciatore for his and the American Legion’s work with the scouts in Floral Park.

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