WILLIAMSBURG — Girl Scout Ambassador Kendal Keough of Girl Scout Troop 1104, a 2024 graduate of Warhill High School in Williamsburg, was recently awarded the Girl Scout Gold Award by area council Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast.
According to Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast, Keough received the honor for completing a service project she titled, “CPR Saves Lives: What You Need to Know.”
The organization notes the Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest achievement in Girl Scouting and requires over 80 hours of leadership and service to receive.
Knowing there is a great need for CPR education, Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast said Keough designed a project whereby she created training tools and taught hands-only CPR classes to Williamsburg area middle school students and senior citizens at The Chesapeake Retirement Community.
“The percent of cardiac arrests that occur in a person’s home is 73.4%, according to the American Heart Association,” Keough said. “About 100,00 to 200,00 lives can be saved each year in the United States if early intervention of a by-stander performed CPR. The more people that can recognize a person in cardiac distress, the more quickly they can act and save a life.”
Keough created a video that was used at several middle schools in the Williamsburg area, Lois S. Hornsby Middle School, James Blair Middle School, and Berkeley Middle School, with the goal of helping students prepare for high school certification. The video was used during the schools’ health lesson times.
She also lectured to residents at The Chesapeake Retirement Community to spread awareness on this issue which included informing them about hands-only CPR. In addition, she distributed literature for them to take home to discuss with their family and friends.
Keough said, “Many people do not know enough about the subject to successfully recognize and help a person in cardiac failure. If people knew more, they could help save lives.”
On June 1 Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast honored Keough among 14 other young leaders during the Girl Scouts Who AMAZE Celebration annual youth awards ceremony at the L. Douglas Wilder Performing Arts Center in Norfolk.
At the celebration, the organization recognized “Girl Scouts who have led the Hampton Roads community, and beyond, towards a brighter future by earning Girl Scouts’ highest awards — the Girl Scout Gold, Silver, and Bronze Awards.”
During the event, 14 Gold Award Girl Scouts were recognized, along with more than 100 Silver Award Girl Scouts and 150 Bronze Award Girl Scouts, it said. Each Gold Award Girl Scout was also honored with a Girl Scout Lifetime Membership made possible by the Helen Kattwinkel Lifetime Membership Endowment fund.
Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast Board Chair Carolyn Pittman also announced several special Council recognitions, where Keough received the She Believes She Can, So She Does scholarship.