By Emily Hill, Director of Individual Giving

As our 2014 Campership fundraiser winds down, we send our thanks to the more than 95 individuals who made contributions to help send girls with financial need to our Girl Scout camps this summer. We raised $8,200 for the 2014 Campership Fund, just shy of our ambitious goal of $10,000. These gifts will help us provide scholarship support for the more than 130 girls who applied for financial aid for our 2014 resident Summer Camps.

We were amazed by these two teenage Girl Scouts who gave their hard-earned cookie money to the Campership Fund:

Meet Chloe

Chloe V. is a 13 year old eighth grader who has been a Girl Scout since she was a Daisy. Formerly of Troop #1607, Chloe attended Camp Hardee in 2012 where she remembers how a canoe mishap gave her the experience of a lifetime. “We fell out of the canoe. And there was a pod of dolphins swimming nearby across the Sound,” Chloe tells it. That experience was just part of a week she’ll always remember at Camp Hardee, and is encouraging her to pursue the Counselor in Training program next year.

This service-minded girl also volunteers through her church and youth group. Chloe is currently in the interview pool to attend Johnston County Early College Academy next year, a selective five-year school where graduates will receive a high school diploma and a two year Associates Degree from Johnston Community College. Later, this ambitious young Girl Scout hopes to attend UNC-Chapel Hill to study occupational therapy.

Meet Lillie M.

Lillie M. is an 18 year old, high school senior and a member of Troop #231.  She has been a Girl Scout since 2000 when she joined as a Daisy on her 5th birthday while still in preschool.  As a Girl Scout, Lillie has earned the Bronze and Silver Awards and will complete her Gold Project this summer. She served on the it2 advisory board and has been a voting delegate to the Annual Meeting for three years.

Not only excelling in Girl Scouts, Lillie has served as her high school’s student body president for two years, was chief marshal, is a leader with FFA, and lists volleyball, tennis, soccer, and Marching Band Flag Squad among her many extracurricular activities. This impressive teenager is currently ranked number one in her high school class, and received a prestigious scholar award to attend the Honors College at East Carolina where she will major in Biology.

And if their bios alone weren’t enough to convince you that Chloe and Lillie are incredible ambassadors of the Girl Scout program… this year both decided (independent of each other) to give their hard-earned cookie money to the Campership Fund. Their gifts will provide opportunities for girls to have the experience of a lifetime the summer at camp – experiences like the two have had with Girl Scouts.

“I have had so many opportunities through Girl Scouting and want to provide that for another girl,” says Lillie of her gift to the Campership Fund.

Chloe echos Lillie’s sentiments. “I wanted to give the money I had raised to help someone. I couldn’t think of any better way to help than to give back in the way of camperships,” says Chloe. Her remarkable gift of over $600 made her one of the top donors to the 2014 Campership Fund. Because of Chloe, three more girls will get a full week at resident camp to have fun and make great memories, like those Chloe has of her time at Camp Hardee.

“At first, I didn’t know people were going to make a big deal, but I hope other people will give, and we can send more girls to camp,” she adds.

These girls could have spent this cookie money on themselves – materials, trips, camp sessions, Girl Scout gear – but both of them exemplified the Girl Scout traditions of giving back.  Thanks, Chloe and Lillie!

Tell us what inspires you to give to Girl Scouting!