Girl Scout Troop 607 gives kids at hospital the gift of board games

A local Junior Girl Scout troop helped solve the puzzle of boredom for children and their families receiving care at Sunrise Children's Hospital, 3186 S. Maryland Parkway.

Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada Troop 607 gathered and donated more than 300 games as part of its Bronze Award, a community service award for Junior Girl Scouts . It is the highest recognition G irl S couts in the fourth and fifth grades can achieve.

The troop, based in Centennial Hills, dubbed its campaign Board No More and set a goal of collecting 500 games. Although the group received 309 games, the number of hours that young patients spend thinking of something other than illness is immeasurable, said Wendy Fought, certified child life specialist for the medical center.

"Being a children's hospital, we are based solely off donations," she said. "These troops and people really help us to make the children's day at the hospital better."

Fought said staff members are constantly replenishing toy supplies as board games are easily worn out or wind up with missing pieces.

The troop delivered its haul Sept. 14 and took two trips to move them to a playroom. Games ranged from playing cards to Candyland, Mystery Date and Clue. Many repeat games filled the stacks, but Fought said they will supplement holiday and prize packages.

The troop will submit its project to the Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada for review.

Troop 607 selected its idea in May and had team and individual goals to achieve 20 hours of work. The girls wrote letters to possible donors and hosted two drives at Toys R Us.

Troop member Jadynn Myles, 10, said group members always kept the kids in Sunrise Children's Hospital in mind.

"They needed more games and wanted to feel more at home, and we wanted to give them their wish," she said.

Troop member Megli Micek thought of the board game drive idea during recent trips to Oklahoma to visit an ailing grandparent.

Her mother, Anita Micek, said she saw firsthand the boredom that kids or family members feel in the hospital environment.

"I felt so bad for her sitting in a hospital with nothing to do," she said.

Micek envisioned other benefits of the games.

"Maybe they can build some ability to survive whatever they are going through as a family," she said.

The troop may extend the project to secure donations of video games.

For more information, call 656-2269.

Contact Centennial and North Las Vegas View reporter Maggie Lillis at mlillis@viewnews.com or 477-3839.