McAuliffe Elementary second grade Brownie Troop No. 43192 voted this week to donate the $262 in proceeds from their October charity garage sale to five different charities: W.A.T.E.R. in Africa, Make-a-Wish Foundation, Maddy Callahan Leukemia Fund, Smile Train and the Issaquah Food Bank.

The troop of 11 girls has been together since the members were in kindergarten.

They held a charity garage sale in October as part of earning their “Penny Power Try-Its” patch.

The activity fit right in to the troop’s theme this year of community outreach.

“We planned this year with the help and support of our troop parents to focus our girls’ activities around the theme of giving,” said co-leader Colleen Evans. “The girls at this age are beginning to understand not only how to count money, but the impact of earning, saving, and spending, and we wanted to match that with their big hearts and desire to do good.”

As part of the activity, each girl was asked to go through her personal items to donate toys, clothing or other household items, price them, and then participate in the sale.

Each girl was then asked to discuss with their parents a charity where the proceeds could be donated, and prepare a talk about that charity for the December meeting.

“All girls participated by sharing an idea and we all learned about new opportunities to give,” Evans said. “The goodness that was expressed by the girls was inspiring and something of which to be really proud. I know this meeting will have a lasting impact, and is in my mind is what parenting and scouting is all about.”