Thinking about others around the world

Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas Troop 3203 showed their concern for others around the world by marking Girl Scout World Thinking Day with a sponsored fun walk that raised more than $1,300.  

World Thinking Day is an annual day dedicated to introducing scouts to the needs of people around the world.

The theme for World Thinking Day on February 22, 2009 was stopping the spread of AIDS, malaria and other diseases. 

Girl Scout Troop 3203 spent time finding out more about a variety of health-related needs and the organizations that help fund relief. They were visited by a pediatrician, who helped them understand more about health issues such as measles and immunizations, malaria and the need for mosquito nets, and the problems faced by children who do not have access to clean water.

The girls chose to act on what they had learned by organizing a sponsored fun walk to benefit WaterAid America.

Kathy Crow, a troop parent and community liaison representative commented: "The girls decided to focus their fundraising efforts on dysentery and clean water as there are so many people affected by this problem around the world. The pediatrician used red hots to describe how many people die each day from the disease and the girls realized that this is a huge problem…and easily solvable with little money."

The one mile “fun walk” was held in the neighborhood around the church where the troop meets. The girls raised funds from family, neighbors and friends over the course of a month.

Ms. Crow continued: "I don’t think it took a lot of convincing others to give to this worthy cause – they just described the problems that come to people who do not have clean water as described to them by the doctor who spoke to them."

• The best way to collect sponsorship money is through an online personal fundraising page.
• Remember to think about safety considerations as you plan the event.