PIERRE — Evelyn Sandal’s eyes widened and a smile graced her aged face as she fingered the soft fleece blanket that was just placed in her lap.

Shawna Bleecker | Capital Journal Cassie Axtell, 10, (left) hands Goldie Kleinsasser a hand-made tie blanket as part of her troop’s quest to achieve the Bronze Award. Advertisement

"It’s beautiful," she said.

Sandal was one of many Golden Living Center’s residents to receive a hand-made tie blanket from Girl Scout Troop 65613.

The troop, comprised of Cassie Axtell, 10, Jaid Freestone, 10, Hannah Booth, 11, and Jessica Darnall, 10, donated 24 blankets as the culmination project to earn a Bronze Award.

The Girl Scout Bronze Award, the highest honor a Junior Girl Scout can earn, required the girls to learn the leadership and planning skills necessary to follow through on a project that made a positive impact on their community.

The process to earn a Bronze Award was "long and expensive," Jessica said. "It was expensive because the blankets cost a lot of money."

The girls fund-raised about $500 mostly by selling cookies and nuts.

"Each blanket took about 45-50 minutes to make," Hannah said.

"The girls sat down and brainstormed ideas for the project," troop leader Deanne Booth said. "They decided this was one they could accomplish."

According to www.girlscouts.org, a Girl Scout Bronze Award project is one that demonstrates the leadership skills she has learned as a Junior Girl Scout and a commitment to her community. The project must show she understands and lives by the Girl Scout Promise and Law.

An awards ceremony is planned for May in which area girl scout troops will gather together and awards will be distributed.