Matawan Girl Scout Earns Gold Award for Soles, Shoes & Laces Project

Kayla Glynn, a Girl Scout since first grade, earned her Gold Award recently by collecting and donating over 100 pairs of shoes for barefoot children in Africa.

Glynn was honored at the Gold Award Ceremony on May 22, which was organized by the Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore to celebrate the accomplishments of more than 50 girls who earned the highest achievement a teen Girl Scout can receive.

As part of the Gold Award process, each recipient is required to utilize their leadership skills learned through Girl Scouting to address and raise awareness of a specific issue within her community.

Glynn designed a project called Soles, Shoes, & Laces.

She collected lightly worn shoes and sneakers for children in Africa, while educating local people about why the diseases that children in Africa are succeptible to when going barefoot.

"I been running since sixth grade and whenever I go to the shoe store to get a new pair of shoes they always have collections for old shoes," Glynn said.

She never understood why someone would want to collect used shoes, until she did a little research.

"I decided to look up why shoes were so important and I found some really disturbing stuff, like kids in Africa who can't get an education if they don't have shoes and all of the diseases they can get from being barefoot," Glynn said.

The Gold Award program is designed to help girls ages 14-18 create a foundation for a lifetime of active citizenship.

“It is an inspiration to watch these girls grow into strong, dedicated young adults through the Gold Award program,” said Susan H. McClure, chief executive officer, Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore.