Girl Scouts Honor Brittany Vega With Butterfly Garden

The have honored fallen student Brittany Vega with the creation of a buttery garden that will bloom at her former elementary school.

Vega, who at age 14 was tragically stuck and by a car crossing Sunrise Highway last September, was an active member of the Girl Scouts in Troop 3277. Girl Scout Troop 3088 in Wantagh decided last fall to create a butterfly garden at in memory of Vega, which was dedicated at a ceremony Wednesday afternoon. Vega attended Wantagh Elementary School from kindergarten through fifth grade.

Troop 3088 leader Christine McKenna explained that since butterflies symbolize rebirth this was a perfect tribute to Vega, who was someone very full of life. The girl scouts planted 15 butterfly bushes to symbolize what would have been Vega’s upcoming 15th birthday. McKenna said she expects the new butterfly garden will grow about six feet tall and to start to bloom in the next few weeks.

“When people come here they will remember her spirit, her beauty, her life,” said McKenna during Wednesday’s ceremony, which was attended by several Wantagh girl scouts and school officials.

The five girls from Troop 3088 who helped create the butterfly garden were Grace
Anne McKenna, Julianna Montanile, Kayla Schmidt, Kelly Talty and Hannah Dougherty. The butterfly plants will start out looking blue, which was Vega's favorite color, before turning purple.

“It feels good because a lot of people can see it and remember Brittany,” said McKenna, a fourth grader at Wantagh Elementary School.

Sandi Vega held back tears during Wednesday’s ceremony and said afterwards how touched she was by the tribute to her daughter. “It was wonderful for the girls to get together like this,” she said. "It is very touching."