Buckinghams, Savvy Headline 100th Birthday Bash
Girl Scouts invites the public to Cookie Classic 5K and day-long festivities
We dig brownies and cookies, and Brownies who sell cookies, and Girl Scouts who sell Thin Mints..... I digress. If all those irresistible boxes of Thin Mints have you a little thicker around the waist, then join the Girl Scouts at The Cookie Classic, a 5K Run, Walk & Celebration!
Best news is, you don't have to buy a beanie and a green dress and hope you'll pass. EVERYONE is welcome to attend the biggest birthday bash for the largest council in the country, featuring The Buckinghams and pop group Savvy.
To celebrate its 100th anniversary, Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana will host its inaugural Girl Scout Cookie Classic 5K Run, Walk & Celebration in Grant Park on Saturday, Sept. 8.
Participants can choose to run or walk the 5K USATF certified course. After the race, the celebration continues with festivities, entertainment and interactive activities for the whole family throughout the day. Registration for the race or walk includes admission to all activities, plus live entertainment from The Buckinghams, Savvy, singer/songwriter Melinda Caroll and The Dreammakers. Activities will include science and cooking demonstrations, sing-alongs, dancing, fitness activities and many more family-friendly activities for all ages. For information and to register, visit www.gscookieclassic.org.
“The Girl Scout Cookie Classic race and celebration is a 100th birthday bash with a mission,” said Maria Wynne, CEO of Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana. “Every person who joins us to walk is joining us to raise dollars to give a girl opportunities to succeed and become all she can be. With every step, we invest in girls and their futures.”
Pop group Savvy, whose members are stars on the hit TV show "The Wannabes" and who are known for their high-energy concerts with positive, empowering messages, will perform and hold a meet-and-greet following their show.
To date, Girl Scout Cookie Classic sponsors include BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois, Dean Foods, Little Brownie Bakers, Ashdon Farms/QSP, The Mash, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Parent Magazine, and The Palmer House Hilton.
Girls aren’t just attending the event – they have many opportunities to be part of the program as well.
· From now until August 22, any Girl Scout who enjoys singing, dancing or has another talent is invited to submit an electronic video clip of her performance. A panel of judges will select the top 10-20 acts to perform live on stage during the Cookie Classic.
· Melinda Caroll (singer/songwriter/composer/record producer/recording artist and lifetime member of Girl Scouts) is looking for the first 100 girls who have a sincere love of singing to be in her Girl Scout Choir, to perform during the event.
· Girl Scouts are invited to join Melinda Caroll for a special pre-event workshop, where girls can learn to write their own songs. Girls must have strong interest in songwriting, singing and the performing arts to take part. Space is limited to the first 25 girls registered; registration is $10 per girl. Two workshop times available at the Downtown Gathering Place (20 S. Clark St., Chicago).
Those not interested in running or walking can sign up for the celebration only. All paid admissions include an inaugural Cookie Classic T-shirt. All who cross the finish line receive a box of Girl Scout cookies. Children under 4 are free.
Event Details:
The Cookie Classic will be held in Butler Field at Grant Park at Columbus and Monroe (by the Petrillo Music Shell). Parking around and near Grant Park is abundant. Public transportation is convenient and highly recommended.
9 a.m. Race begins
9:15 a.m. Walk begins
9 – 5 p.m. Celebration event
To register: www.gscookieclassic.org
My daughter's been a Brownie for two years and is now a new Girl Scout Junior. I was a Brownie and Girl Scout back in the day, too, and it's fun to revisit the classic songs, ceremonies, patches and pins that haven't changed much in 30+ years. And it's amazing to see how much the Girl Scouts have evolved. There are stellar opportunities for Girl Scouts these days, from traditional camping activities, to computer programming, Journey World classes on myriad topics, and so many cool opportunities for empowering our girls and grooming them for leadership roles.
Background:
Founded in 1912, Girl Scouts of the USA is the preeminent leadership development organization for girls with 3.4 million girl and adult members worldwide. Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana impacts the lives of nearly 87,000 girls and 24,000 adult members in 245 communities in six Illinois counties (Cook, DuPage, Grundy, Kankakee, Lake, and Will) and four Indiana counties (Jasper, Lake, Newton, and Porter). For more information, visit www.girlscoutsgcnwi.org.
