Wednesday, June 11, 2003
|
Wednesday, June 11, 2003 |
|
Girl scouts serve PTC with fun fest By J. FRANK LYNCH
You can be sure most Peachtree City teens are spending these first few days of vacation sunning by the pool, getting up to speed on that summer job or packing for camp. Not so for Joanne Smith and Karen Hill, 16-year-olds who've been running all over town in recent days asking for donations, door prizes, free food, volunteers anything to help them stage something they call "Family Fun Fest," set for Saturday at Kedron Elementary. Joanne is a rising 11th grader at Starr's Mill, while best friend Karen will be a junior at McIntosh. They live on opposite ends of town, but that's a minor inconvenience for the longtime pals, who sealed their friendship through years of membership in Girl Scouts Troop 278. Today, they represent just a handful of local Scouts who've made it to the senior level. They hope "Family Fun Fest" helps them reach the very top. A block party, carnival, and informational fair all rolled into one, the girls are using the event to meet the final requirement for the Gold Award, the Girl Scout equivalent of Eagle Scout. But while Boy Scouts usually are required to build something permanent and lasting like a monument, or a park bench the Girl Scouts must conceive, plan, organize and pull off (successfully) some type of event for the community. Two years ago, to earn their Silver Awards, the pair organized backyard seminars on baby-sitting called, "How to be Cool with Kids." Kids are welcome to the fair Saturday, which runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Face Painting, Moon Walk, Bean Bag Toss and other attractions will be on hand for them, while their parents, and especially newcomers to Peachtree City, can sample the talents and opportunities of groups like the Country Western Dance Team, the McIntosh High Chiefettes, Georgia Youth Ballet, and the Martial Arts Demo Team. Local service clubs and organizations will have tables set up to promote their goodwill. Among those Joanne and Karen have convinced to come out are the New Neighbor League, the Running Club, Peachtree City Library, the Fayette County Board of Realtors and the Dixie Wing of the Confederate Air Force. City fire and police personnel will be on hand to demonstrate their skills as well, the girls said. But the main attraction, they hope, will be a golf cart decorating contest, based on the theme, "Why I Love Peachtree City." The grand prize for the best decorated cart, as decided by Mayor Steve Brown and state Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox, will be an Emerson home stereo system donated by Wal-Mart. Other prizes have been offered by Publix and J 93.3 radio.
|
||