A local Girl Scout recently received the highest award a Scout can earn in middle school for a sustainability project for a popular kids’ game.

Madison Herring from Maquoketa earned the Girl Scout Silver Award for working with Vestas American Wind Technology to create a sustainable way to make pits for Gaga Ball, a popular game for kids.  

Herring learned about engineering and robotics with Vestas American Wind Technology and as part of a recent robotics project, she learned about wind turbines that were developed by Vestas in Marengo, Iowa. She was riveted by wind energy possibilities while touring the company, which sparked her idea to combine her love of science and Gaga Ball.

Gaga ball is played with a soft foam ball in an octagonal pit. It combines dodging, striking, running and jumping skills while trying to hit opponents with a ball below the knees.

Herring pitched her idea of creating a Gaga Ball pit with materials from wind turbines at First Ward Park in Maquoketa to city manager, Josh Boldt. Her ideas, which would bring more kids to the park, impressed Boldt enough to ask her to join the Maquoketa Parks Board meetings.

Next, Herring contacted the Vestas American Wind Technology team to help make her project come to life. The company created five designs for her to pick from and they donated all the materials.

Once the blades were delivered, a crew from the Maquoketa Parks Department helped create the pit by raking out gravel, framing the octagon, pouring cement and assembling the recycled materials into the pit. A bench was also made from recycled blades by Canvus, who painted and sealed the bench at no charge.

“When you make goals for yourself, that helps you prepare for your future to be successful,” says Herring. “Being in Girl Scouts and helping with community projects helped me make goals for my future.”

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