Girls Talk supports Megabody visit at Blueberry Festival

WILTON – Thanks to Girls Talk, the Megabody exhibit is that much closer to making its very big appearance at this year’s Blueberry Festival.

Girls Talk, the literature-based mentoring program at Academy Hill School, raised $250 to help sponsor the giant-sized interactive medical exhibits show coming to the 32rd annual Blueberry Festival Aug. 1-2.

At their last meeting this week, the 20 fifth- and sixth-grade girls and their 20 mentors that include school staff members, University of Maine at Farmington students and community members, a check was presented to Shannon Smith, the festival’s organizer.

“You’re the first group to come help us,” Smith said to the girls.”It’s fantastic that you got involved; that’s what it’s all about.”

Over the last nine years of the program, Girls Talk has performed a community service project each year as a thank you to all the people who have supported the program.

Among the projects have been bake sales, sponsoring a kids’ night out, making lap quilts and buying children’s books, both for donation to the hospital, said Jody Cook, co-director of Girls Talk.

This year, they held an indoor yard sale with all of the proceeds going towards bringing the inflatable Megabody to Wilton. The medical exhibit will consist of a 50-foot-long walk through body, 25-foot-long heart, 15-foot-long lung, and 18-foot long brain. Each scientifically accurate inflatable comes with a tour guide to teach human anatomy, along with disease prevention to all ages.

Smith is currently working towards raising the $30,000 needed to bring the exhibit here, along with assembling a lineup of free healthy giveaways, such as toothbrushes, for the exhibit’s attendees.

While sponsorship of the festival is going well towards raising the $40,000 needed to put the event on, more help is needed for Megabody’s appearance. Towards that end, various fund raisers are in the works, with the next bake sale and raffle set for May 10. Modern Woodman has promised up to a $500 match.

Find out more about the Blueberry Festival and how to help support Megabody here.