Norcross Butterfly Garden to Memorialize Young Girl

A local Girl Scout troop is unveiling a butterfly garden in Norcross to dedicate a 6-year-old girl who died last year after battling mitochondrial disease.

Girl Scout Troop 164 will honor Ainsley Paige Higgins at 4 p.m. this Saturday, March 30, in Thrasher Park as they celebrate the new city garden. The garden has earned the troop the Silver Award, which is the highest honor for Cadette Scouts.

According to troop leader Patty Mussak in a news release, the scouts felt helping kids in need was a powerful message they could connect to. They learned about Ainsley through the church where she had attended preschool, and her parents, Lisa and Matt Higgins, had founded The Ainsley Paige Higgins’ Dare To Hope Foundation. The organization is dedicated to improving the quality of life of other children with rare medical conditions.

“We knew of Lisa’s work in spreading the message about mitochondrial disease, and wanted to support that effort,” explained Mussak. “We also wanted our Silver Award to be an everlasting message in our town of how people working together can bring about change.”

The girls invested more than 50 hours of work into the community project, researching which types of plants attract butterflies and working with younger Girl Scouts to grow butterflies which they will eventually release into the garden.

“We felt a butterfly garden symbolized the beautiful spirit of Ainsley that moved people to take action and help others with rare and complex diseases,” added Mussak.

“The city is honored to be chosen as the site for this garden,” said Norcross Mayor Bucky Johnson, who will be in attendance at the dedication. “It’s a beautiful symbol of hope, love and the power of community.”

Luis Herrera with Valleycrest Landscaping donated plants selected by the troop and joined the city of Norcross Parks & Recreation staff to plant the garden near a wooden gazebo nestled in Thrasher Park. This site is sentimental to the Higgins family as it’s where Ainsley’s parents and the Dare to Hope Foundation began its first fundraising event in 2008.

Since then, the Dare to Dash 5K (formerly called “All Aboard for a Cure”) and Family Fun Day has become an annual event in Historic Norcross, again taking place April 27 this year. This is the same day that the Girl Scouts plan to release the butterflies.

The Girl Scouts also will host a booth at this year’s Dare to Dash 5K and Family Fun Day. For more details, check out www.daretodash.com.

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