Sixteen-year-old Jenna Hammond is on her way to earning the Girl Scout Gold Award – the most prestigious honor bestowed upon Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors (akin to making Eagle Scout). To do this, she must complete two “journeys,” or complete the Silver Award and one journey. For the journey, she must identify an issue, investigate it, build a team, design a plan, present it, incorporate feedback, take action, and educate and inspire others. Jenna has decided that for her journey, she will plan a dog park in her town of Bonner Springs, Kansas.
Boy Scouts Peter Jenkins and Jacob Penrod are helping her to complete their Eagle Scout projects. Currently there are no off-leash dog parks in Bonner Springs, and Jenna aims to change that. She has spent the last year-and-a-half raising money and constructing a proposal to present to the city.
The park would be built on a 23-acre open green space. Jenna has obtained the city’s approval to build, but now needs funds to do the job. She has raised $2,600 through private sources, and is hoping for $10,000 so the park can have fountains and an obstacle course.
Jenna says her inspiration for choosing this particular project comes from her 13-year-old brother. Jacob, who lives in Wichita, has autism, and the family hopes to get him a therapy dog. Along with dozens of other dogs, Jenna would like Jacob’s dog to have a safe, enclosed space to run and play and socialize.
For more information on the cause, please visit Jenna’s website.
If you would like to donate, please visit the dog park’s PayPal account.
