GATES – Allison Hackett, daughter of George and Trish Hackett of Gates, has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouting. Allison was homeschooled and is a 2017 high school graduate.

For her project, Allison addressed the issue of inactivity, leading to poor health and obesity among children. To combat this issue, Allison led a team in building a playground at Abundant Hope Baptist Church. Prior to constructing this playground, there was only one other public playground in Gates County. Through her project, Allison aimed to create a safe place where children can socialize, exercise and express their creativity.

“Educators, doctors and child study teams all around the world recognize that play is important,” Allison said. “When I was growing up, I always wished that there was a playground close to me, and I wanted to help children be more active.”

Allison worked with members of the church congregation to ensure that the playground will be maintained for children to enjoy for years to come.

The Gold Award requires girls to identify an issue in the community and carry out a Take Action project to address the matter through leadership work. Nationwide, less than six percent of eligible Girl Scouts earn the Gold Award, which adds Allison to an elite group of female leaders across the country with the honor.

Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast, a United Way agency, serves nearly 10,000 girls in grades K through 12 with the help of nearly 5,000 adult volunteers in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. Girl Scouts offers a one-of-a-kind leadership development program for girls, unleashing the G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader)™ in every girl. Since 1912, Girl Scouts has been building girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place.

To volunteer, reconnect, donate or join, visit www.gsccc.org or call 1-800-77SCOUT.