November 27, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 7 Ridgewood Scout wins Gold Award for organ donation project Tayler Tai of Ridgewood recently received her Girl Scout Gold Award. Her service project involved raising awareness about organ donation through health fairs and informational brochures distributed to employees at Valley Hospital. She also worked with the NJ Sharing Network, an organization that educates the public about organ donation, to spread the word. The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest award a Girl Scout can earn and requires the completion of a leadership project of at least 80 hours. Each girl must discover an issue in the community, con- nect with experts and community mem- bers, and take action to effect positive change. “I was born with a hole in my heart,” Tai said. “When I was three, I had sur- gery to repair the hole to prevent further damage, but if I did not have the surgery, there was a possibility that the hole could have gotten bigger and caused bigger issues. It could have led to me needing a transplant.” Tai created posters and brochures to spread the word about organ donation at Valley Hospital. She also attended health fairs at the Bergen County YJCC in Wash- ington Township and Northern Highlands Regional High School in Allendale to encourage residents to register as organ donors. In addition, Tai participated in the annual 5K run hosted by NJ Sharing Net- work. “At the run, it was great to see both donor families and the families of recipi- ents supporting or representing their loved ones,” she said. “As a result of my proj- ect, people have learned more about the importance of organ donation. Being an organ donor can change people’s lives.” Tai has been a Girl Scout since the first grade and is a member of Troop 61380. She is currently a junior at Ridgewood High School, where she participates in cross country, winter and spring track, and the Chinese Club. She is also a member of the Ridgewood Academy of Health Profes- sions and the National Technical Honor Society. After high school, she plans to attend college and possibly medical school Church welcomes community Old Paramus Church invites the families of the greater Ridgewood community to visit during the Advent season, which will begin Sunday, Dec. 1 and end on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24. Each Sunday in Advent, there is a brief candle-lighting ceremony during the 10 a.m. worship service, after which the children go to Sunday school. The children are practicing for the Christmas Pageant. Old Paramus Church is located at 660 East Glen Avenue in Ridgewood. For additional information, contact the church office at (201) 444-5933 or visit www.old- paramus.org. with the goal of becoming a cardiologist. “In Girl Scouts, I have discovered myself and gained valuable life skills, such as critical thinking and public speak- ing,” she said. The Girl Scout Gold Award, the high- est award a Girl Scout can earn, combines leadership development, career explora- tion and community service. It culminates in a leadership project that each girl plans and executes according to her own inter- ests and passions. Within Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey, 12 percent of eligi- ble girls earn their Girl Scout Gold Award, compared to the national average of six percent. Girl Scouts is the premier leadership development program for girls. As Girl Scouts, girls discover themselves, connect with others, and take action to create posi- tive change in their communities. For more information about Girl Scouts, call Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey at (973) 248-8200. Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey serves almost 20 percent of girls ages 5-17 in 160 municipalities including all of Bergen, Morris, Passaic, and Sussex counties and the northern half of Warren County. There are currently 31,465 girl members and 16,904 adult members.