Lillie Mitchell, a sophomore studying Public Relations at Virginia Tech and a member of Roanoke’s Girl Scout Troop 568, received a $10,000 Gold Award scholarship this past summer for her efforts in completing her Gold Award project in the Roanoke Valley.

Only one of these awards was distributed to each Girl Scout Council in America, making Lillie one of two Girl Scouts in Virginia to receive it.

Lillie and her team of volunteers constructed two raised garden beds and filled them with herbs and flowers for Bethany Hall, a local women’s rehabilitation shelter.  To maintain the project for future use, she created a book for residents to refer to in order to learn about taking care of the plants provided.

Her project required a minimum of 85 hours of service, including planning, fundraising for materials through a bake sale held at Hang 10 Hawaiian Ice, gathering volunteers, construction, and documentation of her work.  Lillie said that none of this could have been accomplished without the help of her troop members who have been her closest friends since she was 6 years old as well as the guidance of her troop leaders, Rhesa Bailey and Laura Hill.