Girl Scouts offer sweet treat for holidays

+ Sweet kind of treat

East County’s Abbi Geiger, 10, and fellow Junior Girl Scout Troop 788 members broke away from feasting on cookies Dec. 15 for a different kind of sweetness.

The girls donated three tablets and birthday gift bags with party supplies to Denise Pope, of Tidewell Hospice, for the hospice to use. The girls decided to benefit hospice after learning the nonprofit makes sure to celebrate its clients' birthdays. They spent about half — $500 — of their Girl Scout cookie sales proceeds on the project.

“It makes me feel good to help older people,” Geiger said. “It might be their last birthday and you want to make it special for them.”

The troop meets at Braden River Elementary School.

+ Holiday tunes

Manatee Tech practical nursing students Shayeta Howell and Haley Springer (pictured) sing to residents of the Bay Vue Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Bradenton Dec. 15.

They were among the practical nursing, medical assisting, and patient care technician students from MTC who donated their time to delight residents of Bay Vue with holiday songs and gifts.