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First Idahoan receives Stars & Stripes Award

Posted at 6:26 PM, Dec 29, 2019
and last updated 2019-12-29 20:52:34-05

BOISE, ID — Hannah Holton joins less than 600 women to receive the Stars & Stripes Award in the 25 years of history of American Heritage Girls. It's a scout-type program dedicated to family, faith, community, and country. It's the highest recognition to an American Heritage Girl. The project involves more than 100 hours of community service.

She dedicated more than 100 hours of community service to the local non-profit, Neptune Warrior, that helps first responders living with PTSD.

"When I started, I didn't realize it. We kind of thought someone was working on a project before, and I guess I didn't know until halfway through that if I completed it, I would be the first one in the state and that made it a lot more exciting and a lot more nerve-racking at the same time," said Hannah Holton, Stars and Stripes Award recipient.

Holton, along with other community members, helped the non-profit, Neptune Warrior, and organization in the Treasure Valley that uses scuba diving as therapy for veterans and first responders.

They created dive activity games and raised money for a full-face dive mask. Holton says she wouldn't have been able to do it without the support from her family and advisers.

"They helped me through the process, and my dad took me to Home Depot so many times that he was probably sick of the store afterward, but he says he's not."

"For the kids in our troop, she still comes back. She's not in our troop anymore. She still comes back and volunteers her time and comes to our events. The girls, you should see their face when she walks into the room. They light up and jump on her. Some of them are like sixteen, and they're still super excited about her. She's just an amazing girl and an amazing young lady," said Becky Ruths, American Heritage Girls Troop ID2911 Coordinator.

There will be an award ceremony at the Journey Church in Boise on Saturday, January 18th, at 3 p.m.