MADISON – Anna Dasher, Elizabeth Litavec and Victoria Penland have achieved the Bronze Award in Girl Scouts.

The trio of friends decided on a project for their church home, Asbury United Methodist Church. After receiving approval from church leaders, they installed a hopscotch area on the playground at the Hope Building, which houses Sunday School classes and meeting space for children’s ministries.

Victoria is 11 years old and attends Lindsay Lane Christian Academy. As a Scout since she was in first grade, she has learned “to take care of the environment and to leave a place better than you found it.”

Victoria decided to pursue the Bronze Award and its required 20 hours of service “to help the community. My troop motivated me.” The hopscotch pad “will help the schools save money instead of using it on playground stuff.”

Elizabeth is 10 years old and in fifth grade at Heritage Elementary School. She joined Girl Scouts when she was in kindergarten. Since joining, she has realized all the various activities that Scouts undertake, both during meetings and in field trips.

Elizabeth’s mother encouraged Elizabeth to commit to earning the Bronze Award. The hopscotch activity “will let the kids have something to do when they are bored,” Elizabeth said.

To complete the project, the girls had to secure pavers, paint and brushes and sealant.

Victoria’s parents and Heath and Allison Penland. Elizabeth’s parents are Doug and Natile Livatec.

Billing itself as the preeminent leadership development organization for girls, the Girl Scouts organization has approximately 2.5 million people involved — more than 1.7 million girls and 750,000 adults. These individuals believe in the power of every ‘G.I.R.L., as in ‘Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader.’ (girlscouts.org)

Juliette Gordon ‘Daisy’ Low founded Girl Scouts in 1912 in Savannah, Ga. For more information, visit girlscouts.org.