Eva Cronin of Catawba County earned the Girl Scout Gold Award for designing and installing a downhill mountain bike trail for her community service project that teaches leadership and creates sustainable change.
This project addressed the need for more downhill mountain bike trails in Hickory that will improve riders’ skills and are convenient to the locals. Throughout the project, Eva fundraised with several local businesses, researched and designed the bike trail with Jim Horton Designs, and partnered with the Northwest NC Mountain Bike Alliance, which she also volunteers with, to complete and maintain the trail. She then planned and executed a grand opening ceremony and ribbon cutting for this new trail that is for all skill levels, includes technical features like jumps and berms, and will remain a sustainable community resource.
“Another issue in the mountain bike community, especially for beginners, is that some don’t know about bike safety and bike etiquette. I have addressed this by making videos that you can access through the Lake Hickory Trails Facebook Page,” said Cronin, member of Girl Scout Troop 1798. “The mountain bike community is growing and there are more visitors at the Lake Hickory Trails. Adding this trail will give more options to all the riders.”
Girls in high school can earn their Gold Award by creating sustainable change on a community or world issue. They address the root cause of a problem, plan and implement innovative solutions to drive change and lead a team of people to success. Each girl must dedicate a minimum of 80 hours to planning and carrying out her project that benefits the community and has a long-lasting impact. Gold Award Girl Scouts gain tangible skills and prove they are the leaders our community and world need, and those from the GSCP2P council have created community gardens, addressed issues in foster care, combated bullying in schools and so much more.
Eva said, “This is a perfect learning trail because the jumps are rollable and there are so many berms that turn both right and left, so they can practice the techniques. Riders also have learned the importance of trail etiquette, which includes not riding the trail when it is wet and how to pass another rider. It is so hard to try and prevent this, and when people watch my video, they will understand the importance of not riding on a wet trail. People who watch my video will also learn the different types of safety gear that they can, and should, wear while riding, like a helmet and safety glasses.”
Thousands of Girl Scouts across the country earn the Girl Scout Gold Award each year, which first began in 1916 as the Golden Eaglet. Earning the Gold Award opens doors to scholarships, preferred admission tracks for college and amazing career opportunities. In 2024, 40 GSCP2P Girl Scouts earned their Gold Award.
To learn more about earning a Girl Scout Gold Award, visit https://www.girlscoutsp2p.org/en/members/for-girl-scouts/badges-journeys-awards/highest-awards/gold-award.html.
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