Fossil Valley Girl Scouts Continue Gold Award Legacy to Support Pediatric Cancer Families

July 26, 2025 – TAMPA, FL – In Girl Scouts, a Gold Award project doesn’t end when the award is earned—it starts a ripple effect. Just ask Josie Stromgren, a member of Troop 33541 and Newsome High School graduate, whose Gold Award project, Adopt a L.A.M.B. Family, continues to serve pediatric cancer families across Florida even a year after its completion.

In August 2024, Josie earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the organization’s highest honor, for her compassionate and community-centered work supporting families of children undergoing cancer treatment. Partnering with the Lawrence A. Martucci Benefit Corp. (L.A.M.B.), a nonprofit that funds pediatric cancer research and supports affected families, Josie raised over $1,500 to purchase essential items for households facing financial hardship, including a dining room set and a washing machine. She also organized a holiday toy drive that collected over $450 worth of toys, led an educational workshop on cancer prevention, and created and distributed an informational pamphlet to raise awareness about L.A.M.B. and pediatric cancer issues.

While Josie’s personal work on the project concluded in March 2024, the heart of her mission continues. L.A.M.B. has committed to maintaining the Adopt a L.A.M.B. Family program, and now, as part of the 2025–2026 Girl Scout year, another Fossil Valley Girl Scout troop will take on this initiative as their community service project. The tradition of the holiday toy drive will also be continued by local Girl Scouts, ensuring that even more children and families benefit from Josie’s original vision.

“Pediatric cancer research receives significantly less funding than many adult cancers, and families face overwhelming emotional and financial strain,” said Josie. “This project taught me that a little hope and help can go a long way—and knowing other Girl Scouts are carrying it forward means everything to me.”

The Girl Scout Gold Award challenges high school-age Girl Scouts to identify a community issue, analyze its root cause, and lead a sustainable project that creates lasting change. Fewer than 6% of Girl Scouts earn the award each year.

Josie, who has been in Girl Scouts for 14 years and previously earned both the Bronze and Silver Awards, is proud that her efforts now live beyond her own troop. Her project exemplifies the true power of the Girl Scout sisterhood—one girl’s idea becoming a movement of ongoing service.

To learn more about the Lawrence A. Martucci Benefit Corp., visit www.lawrenceamartucci.com.