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July 17, 2006
Little Falls, N.Y.-- Going to the hospital for a check-up or to visit a loved one can sometimes be a frightening experience for youngsters. But thanks to the generosity of one Little Falls Girl Scout, a visit to Little Falls Hospital is a little more comforting nowadays.
Gwen Bowman, a soon-to-be fourth-grader at Benton Hall Academy, recently donated more than 30 of her own children’s books for kids to enjoy at the hospital.
“My mom had to have a check-up there and all they had were magazines for grown-ups,” Bowman said. “They didn’t have anything for kids.”
Keeping with the Girl Scout spirit, Bowman decided it would be nice to share her own books with the rest of her community.
“I had two big boxes of books I didn’t need anymore,” she said. “I decided to give them to the hospital because they never had anything for me to read.”
With the help of her mom, Catherine, Bowman approached the hospital to see if they were interested in her books. When they graciously accepted her offer, she went to work.
“I first checked out all the books to make sure they didn’t have any tears in the pages,” she said. “My mom and I decided it was alright to keep one book each, so we chose those together.”
Bowman hopes that other children who visit the hospital will be happy when they see the books just for them. There’s also a part of her that hopes they will learn to love reading—just like she does.
“I just can’t stop reading books,” she said. “Sometimes when I’m supposed to be cleaning my room, I take a book out and read it instead.”
An avid reader, Bowman said her favorite book is "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." And as for future plans for this 8-year-old, the possibilities seem endless.
"I'm thinking about being an artist or a writer," Bowman said. "Or maybe even a doctor."
Gwen Bowman sits in front of her new friends at Camp
Glengarra. Bowman not only enjoyed a week
at camp in 2006, but gave the gift of reading
to kids at Little Falls Hospital.
To share your Girl Scout story with us, please contact Victoria Abdulla, Communications Specialist, at vabdulla@girlscoutsfoothills.org or (315) 733-2391, ext. 23.
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