The Hub City Girl Scouts gathered at Chain Park to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 11 with the U.S. Space and Rocket Center of Huntsville, Ala.
The Apollo 11 mission was the historic launch that sent U.S astronauts to the moon 50 years ago as of July 16.
Leah Ingram, a troop leader and the event coordinator of the Girl Scouts of Greater Mississippi, put the event together based on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) with a variety of handmade and store-bought rocket setups, from pop bottle rockets to straw rockets powered by balloons. She said the event was paid for by the Girl Scouts troops’ cookie sales.
“Our focus is keeping girls interested in STEM as they get older,” said Ingram, who has 30 girls in her troop.
A nurse anesthetist, Ingram began working with the Girl Scouts of Greater Mississippi five years ago as a troop leader when her daughter joined, and she has been the event coordinator for three years.
Ingram’s daughter, 10-year-old Megan Ingram, said she enjoys working with the Girl Scouts to help the community and participating in events like the rocket launch, which helps to teach young girls about STEM.
“I like going places and helping people out,” Megan Ingram said. “It’s fun to help the Girl Scouts learn about things, so when they grow up, they can teach their kids, and if they want to, be great Girl Scout leaders.”
The Girl Scouts of America partnered with The U.S. Space and Rocket Center of Huntsville, Ala., to break the world record of 4,231 rockets, and the Hub City Girl Scouts blasted off an extra 30 for good measure. The record was broken with more than 5,000 rockets launched into the air across the U.S.
“Today is also a part of a Guinness Book of World Records event,” Ingram told the girls and their parents. “We are going to try and launch as many rockets as we can to participate in that event.”
Stay-at -home mom Sherrie Craig got involved with the Girl Scouts of Greater Mississippi last year when her daughter asked her to join. She volunteered at the event by helping to build straw rockets with the kids.
“We started (Girl Scouts) last fall, and we’ve really enjoyed it,” said Craig who has lived in Hattiesburg for eight years. “I think (launching the rockets) will be a lot of fun.”
The Girl Scouts of Greater Mississippi have one event a month, and Ingram said the next event will be a recruitment event.
