Last week, in my duties as a writer at a small town newspaper, I covered the Community Service Awards. This special luncheon is held yearly by Group Publishing, a company in Loveland, Colorado. During this two-hour event, Group awards thousands of dollars to deserving charities in Northern Colorado.
As providence would have it, I sat by two young ladies from the GECCCO Girl Scout Troop. They had written and submitted an award application for their Zip Line for Taite Project. At the luncheon they were honored with a $1000 award towards their project, and I was so impressed with these high schoolers that I’ve decided to make their project the recipient of this month’s HeidiTown Gives Back Campaign.
GECCCO stands for Girls Experiencing Camping, Canoeing, Cycling Outdoors, and this high adventure troop of outstanding young ladies loves living life to the fullest.
These girl scouts travel the world and on a trip to Costa Rica in 2008, they discovered ziplining, and troop member and special needs child, Taite Pugh, enjoyed it more than anyone. When Taite passed away in December of 2011, the troop wanted to do something in her memory.
A year ago, when the girls learned that Meadow Mountain Ranch, a camp they attended regularly in Allenspark, had a zip line on their wish list of camp improvements, they knew this was the answer. The planned zip line and challenge course will be full-equipped for individuals with handicaps to easily enjoy the experience.
In just one year, GACCCO girl scouts have raised $20,000 towards their goal of $70,000 for the zip line. The girls raise the money by selling para-cord survival bracelets. These cool bracelets can be custom-made in a variety of colors and are $5, $6 and $7, depending on type, plus shipping.
See their bracelets on the Zip Line for Taite Project Facebook page.
The girls also donate 5% of the funds from every troop fundraiser to the Zip Line for Taite Project.
To help the GACCCO girl scouts reach their goal, you can send a donation to 5633 N. Sait Louis Avenue, Loveland, CO 80538. To order a bracelet or for further information on this project email ziplinefortaite@gmail.com.