From left to right are: East Bend Troop Leader Mandy Parker, Brownie Mia Parker, Hugh Chatham CEO Paul Hammes, Ginger Wagoner, Surgical Service RN, Larry Huskey standing behind Cadet Taylor Huskey and Ambassador Summer Bourne, and HCMH Director of Marketing and Medical Staff Development Laura Oakes.
Bill Colvard | The Tribune
ELKIN — Two Yadkin County Girl Scout troops set up their familiar cookie booth at the front entrance of Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital here on Friday, but not for the usual purpose. The Scouts were not selling their famously delicious Thin Mints and Peanut Butter cookies. They were offering them as a gift of thanks to the hometown heroes who work at the hospital.
Scouts from Boonville Troop 2381 and East Bend Troop 2382 made the presentation with 14 cases of cookies to distribute.
“We have a Girl Scout cookie sale every year,” said Larry Huskey, father of Cadet Scout Taylor Huskey. “This year we wanted to figure out something nice to do with the leftover cookies. We wanted to give them to people who deserve it. The girls thought of the front line workers, firemen, police officers, the people who were working at the hospital.
“Just being thought of means so much,” said Hugh Chatham CEO Paul Hammes. “It’s so meaningful to us. One of the very few good things that has come out of this [COVID-19] is the outpouring of community support we have experienced. It reminds us we are a community.”
“Real heroes don’t wear capes,” added Taylor.
Brownie Anna Marker presented Hammes with a stack of cards she had made herself,
“I used a ton of stickers,” Anna told him.
Hammes opened the top card of the stack, and read, “Thank you for taking care of people. You are loved.”
“I feel better just looking at these cards,” said Hammes.
“Three hundred and four stickers,” replied Anna.
The conversation turned to merit badges — sash or vest to display them — who had done what to earn which particular badge. Hammes mentioned to the girls that should they be in need of service hours near the holiday season, the hospital had many Christmas trees that would need to be decorated.
The Scouts thought that was a good idea.
Reach Bill Colvard at 336-258-4035.