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Girl Scouts to reunite after the storm at GIRLfest 2006
december 2006
Working to recover from the catastrophic event of Hurricane Katrina can take a toll on girls and adults alike. The Girl Scout Council of Southeast Louisiana encourages its members to join together for a morale-boosting, fun-filled day at GIRLfest 2006. Funded by a Girl Scouts of the USA grant, GIRLfest 2006 is set for Saturday, January 14, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Bayou Segnette State Park, 7777 Westbank Expressway, Westwego.
"We want every one of our Girl Scouts to come to GIRLfest," said Council CEO Jackie Alexander. "Everyone has been through a lot in the last few months. This is our chance to see old friends and give the girls a good time. That will do a lot towards helping things return to normal."
Activities for the event include a scavenger hunt, swaps (handmade crafts that are traded with other Girl Scouts), face painting, obstacle course, nature trails, a pumping station tour, a Thinking Outside the Box contest with science-related creations made onsite from a box of Girl Scout cookies, BREC's Baton Rouge Zoo, coastal conservation information, cookie rally booths, various Girl Scout Try-It and Badge work, and much more. GIRLfest is free to all Girl Scouts, and lunch and a patch will be provided. Participants are asked to each bring a non-perishable food item (high protein items like tuna and peanut butter are especially needed) which will go Second Harvesters Food Bank.
Allison Pastor, Senior Director of Camping, Program and Properties, says that activities are tailored to girls of all ages, with plenty of outdoor physical activities as well as activities better suited for indoors.
"Girls haven't had the opportunity to spend much time outdoors," said Pastor. "With so many areas heavily damaged like our camps, children have been spending a lot time indoors in front of the television. We want to offer them the chance to run and play."
Two singers will be performing at GIRLfest: New Orleans local Theresa Andersson and also Nashville singer/songwriter Teresa who performed at the Council's 90th Birthday celebration in 2002. Teresa recently wrote a new song, Being a Girl Scout, which premiered at the Girl Scouts of the USA national convention in Atlanta last October. Teresa is excited about coming back to see her Girl Scout "sisters" in southeast Louisiana.
"I wrote the song Being a Girl Scout because I always wanted to be a Girl Scout growing up," said Teresa. "I became a lifetime Girl Scout at the national convention so now I'm one of you. Hurray!"
Girls are encouraged to bring a friend. Friends and girls new to Girl Scouting are invited to join in the fun and will be charged a $10 membership fee. Registration is being handled online on the Council's website at www.girlscoutssela.org and the deadline to register is January 3. Troops are encouraged to use this event as the perfect opportunity to reunite with old friends, and the Council is especially interested in having as many displaced girls and volunteers return to the area, if only for the event.
For more information about GIRLfest, please call the Girl Scout Council of Southeast Louisiana at (504) 733-8220 or (800) 644-7571.
Media Contact: Marianne Burdette, Director of Communications(504) 733-8220, ext. 226 or mburdette@girlscoutssela.org
