Girl Scout Junior Troop # 1742 in Fairfax will be completing their efforts to earn the Bronze Award, a leadership adventure and the highest honor a Girl Scout Junior can achieve. In their pursuit to make a difference, these 12 girls from Willow Springs Elementary School chose to raise awareness and to support the research efforts of Cockayne Syndrome (CS), a rare disease that touched the life of one of the troop members in a very personal way. The disease results in slow growth in babies as well as rapid aging (a form of progeria). As part of their project, the girls researched the syndrome, spoke with families affected by the disease and collectively planned ways they could disseminate information to their neighborhood and to a broader population. They developed an informational brochure and a poster display and designed a plan to support the Cockayne Syndrome International Conference.

After months of research, planning and hard work, the girls began their campaign on Sunday, July 28 by hosting a lemonade stand in a local neighborhood and by serving treats while they shared information about the syndrome. The girls will culminate their efforts with participation in the Cockayne Syndrome International Conference in Alexandria Aug. 1-4. At the conference, the troop will split into smaller groups that rotate jobs over the course of three days. At the welcoming dinner, two girls will present a check from Troop 1742 to the CS Foundation. During the camp-in party, four girls will interact with the CS children and their siblings through a play, games and activities; and, on Saturday, the final group of girls will have a display in the lobby with the brochures and a poster featuring the information they researched on CS. The display is open to the general public as well as to conference attendees.

For more information or to assist with the troop’s outreach, please contact Jann Canestra at 703-229-9994.