Girls Scouts of Cranford Veterans Video Project
Submitted by Kerry Rokicki
A special video project was shared this Memorial Day to honor those Cranford residents who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country. The project was a collaboration between the Girl Scouts of Cranford, Cranford VFW Post 335, the Cranford86 Project, the Cranford Recreation and Parks Department and TV35, Cranford’s local public access channel.
There are 14 streets in the township named for fallen veterans. For instance, Day Place is named for Buell Van Keuren Day (WWI) and Hale Street for William Asa Hale (WWI). A Cranford Girl Scout troop was assigned to each street. At each location a troop read a short biography of the hometown hero. These videos were then compiled into a montage that was broadcast on Channel 35 on Memorial Day.
“The aim was to honor our hometown veterans, but to also teach our Girl Scouts about the true meaning behind Memorial Day,” explained Elayna Torsone, manager of Girl Scouts of Cranford Service Unit 48. “Special thanks are due to the individual troops for creating their videos and to leader Nicole Savino Mulcahy for turning that footage into the final product. I am also very grateful for the collaboration among all the Cranford organizations that helped make this project a success.”
The Cranford86 Project, which aims to illuminate the personal stories and experiences of the 86 Cranford residents who perished in military service, provided the profiles.
In addition to the video project, the Girl Scouts of Cranford honored township veterans with other initiatives. Girl Scouts participated in the wreath laying ceremony at Memorial Park on Monday and stood at attention with the Girl Scout flag while the abbreviated parade passed by. All township Girl Scouts were invited to recite the pledge of allegiance on the lawns of their homes at 10:00 a.m. on Memorial Day. Some Girl Scout families also brought one of the Gold Star flags honoring a member of the Cranford 86 back to their homes and neighborhoods as part of a town-wide effort to honor these veterans on Memorial Day.
The Girl Scouts of Cranford boasts over 1,139 Girl Scout Members in 71 troops and Juliette’s making it one of the largest non-profit organizations in town. The Cranford Service Unit is a part of the Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey (GSHNJ) Council which is part of the Girl Scouts of the USA. If your family is interested in learning more about local Girl Scouts or to find out more information on the Girls Scouts of Cranford, please visit cranfordgirlscouts.com.
