Beth Egan

Egan (second from right) at age 10 raised $126 during her first year at the bake sale.

As students vie for school service hours, freshman Leah Egan has found a way to give back to her community, outside of school, through the Gateway Golden Retriever Rescue (GGRR).

“I do a one-day bake sale every August for about four hours at my house, and I donate 100% of the profits to charity. I got my dog Halley in third grade, and since Halley meant so much to me, I wanted others to have a chance to have a dog like her, too,” Egan said.

Egan works together with her sister, friends and neighbors in order to complete the sale. They bake brownies, cookies, banana bread and apple pie, starting two days before the sale.

“We put up posters around Walgreen’s and Bread Co., and we need to set out supplies, tables and food for the sale. I usually wake up at 6 AM on the day of the sale to put flyers on doors and mailboxes. It takes a lot of work and planning, but I like it because it gives me something to work for. It brings our community together for a wonderful organization,” Egan said.

In the past five years, Egan has raised about $2,000 for the cause. She is aided by Petco, PetSmart and Lancia, who provide about $30 each in monetary support annually.

“My biggest accomplishment was probably the first year, when I raised $162. I didn’t even realize I would be able to raise so much. I officially became a member of GGRR, and it was a really cool experience. I hope to make $1,000 this year. I want to include more of the outside community, since as of now, it’s only the Claymont community,” she said.

She encourages others to participate in charity work as well.

“I think a lot of people want to help, but some lack the willpower and organization to actually pursue it. But if you just do it, you’ll get better and better,” Egan said.