A friendship bench proposed by three different Girl Scout troops in Gentry Terrell’s honor will be built on Columbia Primary School’s playground.
The school board approved the project during its Oct. 11 meeting. Gentry, 6, was a student at Columbia Primary who died on Aug. 3 after a courageous battle with a rare brain tumor.
“We feel Gentry would have loved this because she was a great friend,” West Marion Elementary fifth grader Jayley Raynes of Troop 3825 said.
The bench will be painted purple, Gentry’s favorite color, with a dragonfly and a rainbow on the back of the bench and would be accompanied by a magnolia tree that produces purple flowers. Surrounding the tree will be rocks painted purple and a rainbow.
Jefferson Middle School eighth-grader Aria Blackard of Troop 7304, Columbia Elementary third-grader Emmma Moree of Troop 3885, Sumrall Elementary second-grader Allie Hall of Troop 3825 and Columbia Primary first-grader Georgia Kate Rayborn of Troop 3885 were the others to address the board alongside Raynes.
School board members showered the Girl Scouts with applause as they approved the initiative.
