You're Invited To A Ginormous 100th Birthday Party

Buckinghams, Savvy Headline 100^th 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 100^th 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 100^th 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.

Act Out: Broadway in Chicago's Ann Opening Wednesday

 Rosie, Holland and Loretta after the preview performance last night

Rosie O’Donnell and Loretta Swit “Hot Lips Houlihan” (MASH and the Chicago production of LOVE, LOSS, AND WHAT I WORE) attended last night’s preview performance of ANN with Holland Taylor (Two and a Half Men) at the Bank of America Theatre.
 
ChiIL Mama can't wait for opening night tomorrow.   We'll have a full review for you this week.   We may be the Second City, but we get Ann first!   Come check out THE PRE-BROADWAY ENGAGEMENT.
 
WITH EMMY® AWARD-WINNING ACTRESS
HOLLAND TAYLOR
NOW PLAYING IN CHICAGO

Broadway In Chicago is thrilled to announce ANN, with actress Holland Taylor (from Two and a Half Men), is is now playing at the Bank of America Theatre (18 West Monroe Street) for a limited three-week engagement, Nov. 13- Dec. 4, 2011. 
 
ANN, a new play written and performed by Emmy Award-winning actress Holland Taylor, is a no holds barred look at the astonishing Governor of the Lone Star State Ann Richards.  Directed by Benjamin Klein, with scenic design by Michael Fagin, lighting design by Matthew Richards, projection design by Zachary Borovay, sound design by Ken Huncovsky and wig design by Paul Huntley, ANN is produced by Bob Boyett.
 
Holland Taylor steps into the shoes of Ann Richards, a leader who actually believed she could empower, expand and enrich the lives of her constituents. ANN is an inspiring and hilarious play that brings you face to face with a complex, colorful and captivating character bigger than the state from which she hailed.  Holland Taylor takes the audience on a journey, swirling together the past and present to reunite Ann Richards with old friends and introduce her to a new generation.
 
ANN began as a “project” and quest for Holland to understand what it was about this live-wire housewife, mother, grandmother and Governor of Texas that affected so many people so deeply.  Writing the play became a three year journey for Holland, crisscrossing the country, interviewing people who knew the Governor, watching countless hours of video coverage, and pouring over reams of Richards’ personal and public papers at the University of Texas.  In the end, her greatest resources were the family, friends, staff and colleagues of the Governor who allowed Holland to “know” Ann Richards.
 
No stranger to playing strong women, Holland Taylor has performed on stage, screen and television portraying a range of characters as varied as a Harvard law professor in Legally Blonde, a sultry judge in The Practice (Supporting Actress Emmy® for Drama) and the mother of Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer in Two and a Half Men.  

Taylor has also played both ends of the political spectrum with conviction, from conservative Nancy Reagan on the right to Ann Richards on the left. The New Yorker has called Holland Taylor “the first vaudeville Gentile we ever saw.”  Her long list of credits includes Baby Mama, Romancing the Stone and currently, CBS’s top‐rated Two and a Half Men.  Her New York stage performances include Bess in Breakfast with Les and Bess, the original productions of Butley opposite Alan Bates, and A.R. Gurney’s The Cocktail Hour.  Taylor is active at the Stella Adler Schools and has given talks about the work and cultural contribution of this great teacher.
 
Tickets start at $20 and are on-sale now. A select number of premium seats are also available for many performances. Tickets are available now for groups of 15 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710.
 
The performance schedule for ANN is as follows:
 
Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m.
Wednesdays at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.
Fridays at 7:30 p.m.
Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Sundays at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Please note: performance schedule and prices are subject to change.
 
For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

Chicago's Girl Scouts Celebrate 100 Years & Gathering Place Grand Opening

 Brownie Sage   Photo Credit ChiILMama.com

Brownies and Girl Scouts bring to mind Thin Mints, annual cookie sales, camping and badges.    But as we approach the Girl Scouts 100th anniversary, on my son's birthday, March 12th,  we'd like to share how much more the scouts have become.    I was a Brownie and Girl Scout back in the 70's and my own daughter is now in her 2nd year as a Brownie.   When I rejoined scouting last year, after decades away, I was pleasantly surprised to see how much more tech savvy, eco-friendly, multicultural and girl empowering scouts have become.    


Here at ChiIL Mama, we're all about highlighting the arts, music, and great, creative spaces that benefit kids.    So we'll be featuring a number of Girl Scout spaces and events in this exciting anniversary year.    The best news is....these places are not just for girl scouts or even just for girls!    We'll soon be featuring a video tour of Journey World and interview with Director, Lisa Garrucho.    This hidden Chicago gem at Halsted and Chicago runs school workshops, day camps, and overnighters for Chi-town girls and boys, scouts and non-scouts.


We've kicked things off with coverage of Reality Check, a multimedia exploration of how reality show watching affects teen girls, and a video contest where girls can create and document their own realities for great prizes.


We'll also soon be featuring an exclusive video interview with Maria Wynne, CEO of The Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana, the largest council in the world.



  Maria Wynne at The Gathering Place Ribbon Cutting
  Photo credit for all Gathering Place photos:   Amy Ravit Korin 

In addition to celebrating a century, this year, Chicago area scouts are also celebrating a new space.

Girl Scouts Unveil Gathering Place

The Girl Scout Gathering Place, located at 20 S. Clark St. in Chicago, officially opened less than a month ago, with a ribbon cutting, on September 19th.

The Gathering Place honors 10 decades of Girl Scout roots in Chicago and signals the future of premier leadership development programming for more than 86,000 girl members and 23,000 adult volunteers across our geography.

Senator Durban with a Girl Scout

Guests included The Honorable Richard J, Durbin, Maria Wynne, CEO, Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago, the Council Board of Directors, members of the philanthropic community, other public officials and Girl Scouts.

Background:  The Gathering Place reflects the Girl Scouts’ commitment to providing girls ages 5 – 17 and from 245 communities within our geography with leadership development opportunities that prepare them for tomorrow’s world.  

The Girl Scouts relocated to create an innovative, welcoming environment that honors past legacies, makes the space available to members and donors, and marks the 100th anniversary milestone in 2012 with the exciting possibilities of the future.

Reality Check Event
On Saturday, Oct. 22, there's a FREE event for girls ages 13-17 at Chicago Gathering Place, located at 20 S. Clark Street, Suite 200, Chicago, IL.  Registration is required to ensure seating, click here to register. Film your own video for our contest on the spot, meet Kasia, have your photo taken by The MASH, the Chicago Tribune print and online newspaper created by and for teens and much more. Find out more about this free and exciting event. Slots are filling quickly, so register NOW!

ChiIL Mama's happy to support The Girl Scouts, as they continue their committment to and investment in girls' education and leadership training.   Check back with ChiIL Mama early and often for updates on great local resources and fun upcoming events.