Vegan Stow Girl Scout Receives Award for Work with Animal Sanctuary

Emma Fobean is one of 8 Girl Scouts in the central region and 58 in Ohio who was recognized at the John S. Knight Center in Akron for receiving a Gold Award from the Girl Scouts of North East Ohio. 

“Although the Gold Award is the highest, most prestigious recognition a girl may earn in Girl Scouts, we know it is just the beginning of the amazing things these young ladies will accomplish in their lives,” said Jane Christyson, chief executive officer for Girl Scouts of North East Ohio, in a press release.  “Their projects have a lasting impact locally, nationally, and globally in environmental awareness, special needs populations, healthy living, community improvements and more.”

Summit County Court of Common Pleas Judge Elinore Marsh Stormer, a Girl Scout alumna, was the keynote speaker Saturday.

The Gold Award project challenges girls to identify an unmet need or core issue in their community, research and investigate it, recruit volunteers and build a team to create a plan to address the issue or need since 1916. 

The plan, called a Gold Award proposal, is submitted to council for approval by a committee of volunteers. Only about 5 percent of eligible girls take the rigorous path toward earning this prestigious award, but those who complete the journey change the lives of others and their own in amazing and significant ways. 

Happy Trails Farm Animal Sanctuary Project

Emma is a senior at Archbishop Hoban High School and has been a Girl Scout for 12 years. She participates in Knights for Life, Spanish Club, National Honor Society, Set Crew, Varsity Bowling, Harry Potter Club, and Peace and Justice Club.

For her Gold Award project, Emma restored a pet cemetery at Happy Trails Farm Animal Sanctuary, Inc., in Ravenna. The sanctuary rescues abused and neglected farm animals, such as pigs, roosters, and horses, and they give them safe homes, while pursuing the offenders in court. 

Emma and her volunteer team raked out old leaves, trimmed tree branches, replaced grave markers, painted new signs, built wooden crosses for the previously unmarked graves, fixed the roof of a memorial, laid down pavers and mulch, and arranged countless colorful flowers on the graves in the cemetery. 

Emma chose this project because as a vegan, she felt this was a great opportunity to give back to the innocent animals who have suffered so much and also a great way to help out Happy Trails.

Emma plans to attend college and study history and religious studies and become a freelance writer.