MUSKEGON, MI (WHTC-AM/FM) – An eight-year-old Ludington girl scout is the youngest recipient of the Individual Gold President’s Volunteer Service Awards in the history of the program having earned the award at age seven. She recently was awarded another Individual Gold President’s Volunteer Service Award this year.
Sawyer Hendrickson first earned the award after her Girl Scout Troop #4688 raised awareness for veterans and active military with “Scouts For Soldiers.” She started the program in honor of her brother Lance Corporal Kylar J. Hendrickson last year when he joined the Marine Corps. President Obama awarded her troop Silver and Bronze awards.
Sawyer’s troop spent the summer and school year decorating barrels filled with toy soldiers of all branches of the military.The barrels were placed in downtown Ludington along the shores of Lake Michigan where Sawyer and her troop volunteered over 870 hours of community service by handing out toy soldiers inviting people to “Please take a soldier in honor of our hero’s fighting for freedom.”
The Girl Scout Troop #4688 will be headed to Washington, DC on September 19 through the 24th to tour national monuments and are working towards meeting President Trump. The troop was orginally invited to the nation’s capital when President Obama who first awarded Sawyer the award, was in office, but that trip was cancelled due to the presidential election
Sawyer was on hand at a town hall meeting on Wednesday, August 23, with West Michigan Congressman Bill Huizenga where she read her letter Congressman Huizenga.
In the letter Sawyer wrote the following:
“Because without the brave efforts of our Soldiers,Sailors, Airmen, Coast Guard and Marines and their families, with support from their Communities, we would not stand by so Boldly, Shine so Brightly or Live so Freely.”
