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CARTHAGE, ILL. -- The following is a press release from Memorial Hospital:

Memorial Hospital has new landscaping added to their facility thanks to two local Girl Scouts, Kayla Bess and Shanna Smith.  Kayla and Shanna are from Carthage, Illinois. They have been girl scouts for many years, they are now at the Girl Scout Ambassador Level, which is the highest level of Girl Scouting there is; and they are working for the highest level of achievement in Girl Scouting, the Gold Award, in order to receive this award they needed to do a community project. 

In the fall of 2009, Kayla and Shanna started searching for a project worthy of the Gold Award; they sent letters to local businesses around the community asking for ideas. The response that interested the girls was a call from, Memorial Hospital President and CEO Ada Bair.  Memorial Hospital sits next to a beautiful pond and it needed some development, the girls were invited to tour the area, come up with some designs and put their plan into action, all with the blessing of Memorial Hospital.  That was just the beginning, the girls then had to submit an approval application to the Girl Scout Council and go through an interview process before they could begin the project. Upon completion of the project the girls will then have to submit more applications to the Council then will be recognized at a Girl Scout banquet in the spring of 2011.

In the fall Kayla and Shanna started planning their project, they decided they would make a sitting area by the hospital pond for employees, patients, guests, and community members to enjoy.  In order for the girls to get the gold award they had to take on all aspects of the project, which included funding the project. Kayla and Shanna started raising money, by selling Girl Scout cookies. They painted the parking spaces and cross walks around the Carthage square.  Together they raised about $1,000. 

Kayla and Shanna started putting together the sitting area this summer.  The area includes two picnic tables, four benches, six trees, four bushes, a bird bath, some flower pots filled with flowers, gravel to define the area, and a beautiful butterfly garden.  The girls also got some community involvement with their project, the city of Carthage donated pea gravel, community member Rich Sealock donated his time and backhoe which he used to help them level the gravel. Kayla and Shanna say thank you to their parents, Nancy and Gary Smith and Malinda Bess-Melcher, who helped them through it all.  Kayla and Shanna expect the project to be completed by August 15. 

Shanna Smith said, “We encourage others to get involved and add to this project.” “There is lots that could be done out here, the area is huge,” says Smith.  Kayla Bess added “Remaining active in our community is very important to us.”

President and CEO Ada Bair said “We are very pleased that we were chosen for this project, Kayla and Shanna have dedicated much of their summer to us and that means a lot to Memorial Hospital.” “We also appreciate all others that took the time to help and or encourage the girls throughout this project,” says Bair.