FORT WALTON BEACH — Girl Scout Troop 306 raises money for different causes every year.
The girls have donated to local firefighters and paramedics, Children in Crisis, the military and Pyramid Inc., an organization that helps adults with severe disabilities.
This year, their cause is closer to home.
When Jay Spooner, father of 7-year-old scout Madison Spooner, passed away unexpectedly about two weeks ago, the troop decided to raise funds for the family.
The girls take at least one major trip each year, and wanted to make sure Madison could go with them to Washington, D.C., this summer.
The scouts wanted to surprise the Spooners, and told people it was for a local family in need.
But another tragedy struck last Friday. Ed Beck, father of scouts Cadi Beck, 7, and Leilee Beck, 11, also passed away.
Troop leader Mandy Snyder decided to expand the effort to help both families.
At last weekend’s cookie sale, the troop unveiled its cause to the community. The girls brought posters decorated with photos of the fathers and notes written by their daughters.
“Love is always there no matter where you are,” Leilee wrote on one poster.
More than $700 was collected, Snyder said. One man donated almost $200.
At Wednesday’s troop meeting, the scouts talked about the deaths and what they were feeling.
Alex Kent, 10, noted how the tragedies affected the entire troop.
“It’s a sad thing to see your friends in such melancholy,” Alex said.
More than a few tears were shed and hugs were shared, including a huge group hug around Madison and her mom, Traci Spooner.
“Too big, too big,” Traci said, laughing as the girls piled on the pair. “No, really. Too big!”
Even as the girls moved on to talk about everything from good grades to new shoes, the topic of loss and grief kept coming up. They shared their own experiences with the deaths of family and family friends.
A grief counselor talked with them later and advised them not to keep their grief locked away.
“We’re getting through it together as a family,” Snyder said.
The tragedies have brought the scouts and their families together, said Traci Spooner, who noted that several girls attended her husband’s funeral service and brought meals to the family.
“We’re very blessed to be part of such a great troop,” she said.
The troop has helped keep her daughters’ routine as normal as possible, said Karrie Beck, mother of Leilee and Cadi. She doesn’t want to throw everything off in their lives.
“It definitely helps to have their friends around them,” she said.
Leilee and Cadi helped the troop sell cookies Sunday. Cadi had a simple message when people asked about her dad.
“Love is really close to our hearts through our dads.”
HOW TO HELP
The Beck family has a memorial fund set up at Eglin Federal Credit Union. Ask to donate to Ed or Karrie Beck. The Spooner family also has a trust fund at Eglin for Madison and her 4-year-old brother, Jakob.