Donate solar eclipse glasses to Astronomers Without Borders

Now that Monday’s solar eclipse is over, those special glasses that were so hard to find may seem worthless. Instead of throwing the glasses away, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock community can donate them to the Girl Scouts who are collecting them for a good cause. Girl Scouts-Diamonds of Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas are collecting the solar eclipse glasses and sending them to Astronomers Without Borders, said Girl Scouts spokeswoman Taylor Fisher. Astronomers Without Borders participants will distribute the glasses to schools in South America and Asia for the 2019 solar eclipse. Solar eclipse glasses can be donated to the Girl Scouts-Diamond council office at 11311 Arcade Drive in Little Rock. For more information, contact the council office at 1.800.632.6894.

Campus drop-off opportunity

On the UA Little Rock campus, Karen Wright-Lee, transfer specialist in the Office of Transfer Student Services, will accept donations in her office at Student Services Center Suite 321B. Wright-Lee, who has fond memories of her childhood days as a Girl Scout, recently completed leadership training so she and her best friend can volunteer as troop leaders. “My mom was a troop leader for both my sister and me at various times,” Wright-Lee said. “Girl Scouts is in our blood, but none of us have children. We’ve finally decided to take the plunge and volunteer as adults.” Donating solar eclipse glasses to help students across the world is a great cause for the Girl Scouts, Wright-Lee said, especially since many American schools received help from Astronomers Without Borders. “Astronomers Without Borders did a similar donation to underserved American schools for our eclipse,” Wright-Lee said. “Now it’s our turn to pay it forward to the next country experiencing a solar eclipse.” In the upper right photo, UA Little Rock students watch the solar eclipse. Photo by Lonnie Timmons III/UA Little Rock Communications.