Geneva Girl Scouts sled for Casey’s Safe Haven

GENEVA – About 30 Girl Scouts went sledding Saturday at the Fabyan Forest Preserve for a good cause.

The Girl Scouts, representing various troops in Geneva, participated in a supply drive event called Sled for the Horses to benefit Casey's Safe Haven near Elburn.

The girls dropped off about 25 rolls of paper towels, 10 pounds of carrots, 20 pounds of sweet potatoes and a couple of bottles of olive oil before they went sledding by the Fabyan Windmill.

The food and supplies will help the horses and ponies at Casey’s Safe Haven, which is a nonprofit holistic horse rescue.

Brownie Troop 45 visited Casey’s in November and hosted Saturday’s event as part of a service project, said Autumn Caviness, leader of Brownie Troop 45 and troop coordinator at Williamsburg Elementary School in Geneva.

“The girls loved Casey’s so much; they wanted to do this for the horses,” Caviness said.

Caviness said her daughter, Maddy, 7, was so excited to be at Casey’s during a separate trip that she couldn’t stop moving around. She was able to recite the names of a couple of the horses she met at the rescue facility after sledding with her brother and two sisters Saturday.

Troop 45 member Gianna Valenti also was with her family at the event.

Gianna helped send a doll of the “Frozen” movie character Elsa down the sledding hill during a Girl Scout cookies box race with three other dolls. Another movie character – Merida from “Brave” – won the doll race.

“It was really fun when you went down, but when you go up it was [tricky] because of the ice,” Gianna, 8, said.

The troop leaders were surprised that the hill was so slick, but they and other parents watched the girls closely and helped them up the hill when needed.

Parents did not want their children to miss a chance to play outside on Saturday, when temperatures were above 30 degrees for the first time in several days, Caviness said.

Kris Anderson, visitor coordinator at Casey’s, said she appreciated the turnout and the supplies for horses. Anderson was at the event with pictures of the various horses, showing their weakened conditions when they arrive to the rescue and their improved appearance once they get love, affection and a good diet.

“This was above and beyond,” Anderson said of the girls’ event. “Here they are part of the community helping the barn help horses, and the horses in turn help people.”