Gainesville girl sets her Eagle Scout project in stone at UF Children’s Hospital

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) -Nearly two years ago, TV 20 told you the story of Olivia Foli and her mom Kim, and the trail they blazed with the first all-girl boy scout troop in Gainesville. Now Olivia is making sure her dream of becoming an Eagle Scout is set in stone.

“I want them to pick a rock that speaks to them that whenever they look at it, it reminds them to keep fighting the battle,” said Olivia.

16-year old Foli has worked to become an Eagle Scout nearly all her life. With a passion for painting, the outdoors and uplifting others, starting a scavenger hunt with healing stones at uf health children’s healing garden became crystal clear for her eagle scout project.

“Being in the hospital as a child is very taxing, I know from personal experience” added Olivia. “I was born with a brachial plexus injury and I was in and out of the hospital. Occupational therapy, physical therapy my whole childhood and I was actually a patient here at Shands and when I was here, I really wish they had something like this.”

12 rocks for the 12 principles that boy scouts live by make up the scavenger hunt that leads to a prize for patients

“Yes 676 rocks to be exact,” mentioned Olivia. A choice of a healing hand-painted stone gathered from 11 different troops, three different organizations, and six different states.

“And we hope that this will be enlightening, happy experience for children and something that they will take with them when they leave so they remember,” said Amy Wegner, the Director of Child Life Services at UF’s Children’s Hospital. “You know, something good and positive about their hospitalization and enjoy their time while they’re here in nature.”

Boy scout troop 21 is always recruiting new members to their all-girl group.

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