Marty Gordon
Mascara wands pump up lackluster lashes, but there is now an unexpected role you might not know about.
Local Girl Scout troop #80 based at Carter Street Methodist Church in Radford is collecting wands, or brushes, to help with cleaning of animals at a North Carolina wildlife refuge.
Savannah Trantham is the co-founder of Appalachian Wildlife Refuge, a nonprofit that assists with the rehabilitation of animals. They use mascara brushes to help remove fly eggs and larva from the fur of animals.
“They (the brushes) work great because the bristles are so close together,” she said.
Since the original Facebook post ,which the local Girl Scout troop saw, Appalachian Wildlife has collected brushes from more than 40 states, Canada, Great Britain and Hong Kong. They have even received a large donation from Cosmopolitan magazine’s makeup department and from makeup artists on the show “Blacklist.”
Marti Young is the adult leader for the scout troop. “We chose this project so the girls can earn their silver award, which has them working to change or make something better,” she said.
The mascara collection was a no brainer. The troop collects used or old wands, cleans, packages and then ships them to the refuge.
The cutoff date was March 31, but the scouts plan to extend it to receive more public donations. Their goal is 150 brushes and, as of this week, they had already reached the 60-brush mark.
In addition to helping clean the animals, Young points out it keeps the brushes out of the landfill. “So, the project is two-fold,” she said.
So far, the scouts have completed 50 hours of work.
To donate brushes, you can contact the scout troop at: ASKtroop80@gmail.com to arrange pick up of donations.
For more information on the wildlife organization, go to www.appalachianwildlife.org.