Seven Senior Girl Scouts from Bonduel leave Saturday for Washington, D.C., to spend a week in the capital. They have worked for two years to pay for the trip.
“The girls heard about another Girl Scout troop that went to Mexico,” said co-leader Kristin Hoppe, who is accompanying the girls along with co-leader Liz Laubenbach and chaperon Angie Cornette.
They looked at trip options, such as Mexico, but the costs and need for passports changed their minds.
“We decided to look in-country,” Hoppe said.
The troop decided on D.C. They rented a house for a week to keep costs down. The leaders also felt it would be safer.
The girls raised $11,000 for the trip by having cookie sales, brat fries, pancake breakfasts, craft sales, candy/nut sales, car washes and rummage sales.
“Pretty much anything they could do,” Hoppe said. “They’ve been very dedicated.”
She said there were times the girls got a little discouraged, especially in the winter. But their efforts paid off.
The itinerary includes coffee with Sen. Tammy Baldwin and a tour of the engraving and printing process with Congressman Reid Ribble.
They will tour the Capitol with an intern and take a two-day trolley tour of the monuments.
As of Friday, the girls did not know if they will be able to tour the White House.
“I’m excited,” said Danielle Lautenbach, 16, “It’s going to be a learning experience while having fun.”
The Bonduel troop has been together since kindergarten. Before this trip, the Scouts took more typical end-of-year trips, like going to Wisconsin Dells and the Milwaukee zoo.
The Scouts’ community service has included taking Build-A-Bears to the children at St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay and taking cookies and blankets to Safe Haven.
After this summer, they will be classified as Girl Scout Ambassadors.
Troop 2265 meets at 6 p.m. on the first and third Monday at Bonduel Middle School, 400 W. Green Bay St., Bonduel. For more information, call Hoppe at 715-304-9171.
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