GLEN CARBON — Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois has wrapped up a successful annual Girl Scout Cookie Program.
The following girls were the Top Sellers for their areas:
- Kaylee Melton, a Girl Scout Junior from Wood River, was the Top Seller for the Alton/Godfrey/Wood River/East Alton/Roxana area.
- Emily Zimmerman, a Girl Scout Junior from Bethalto, was the Top Seller for the Bethalto area.
- Elise Thomlinson, a Girl Scout Daisy from Collinsville, was the Top Seller for the Collinsville area.
- Lori Koenig, a Girl Scout Brownie from Edwardsville, was the Top Seller for the Edwardsville/Glen Carbon area.
- Julia Beil, a Girl Scout Daisy from Highland, was the Top Seller for the Highland area.
“Our girls, their parents and our fantastic volunteers have put in a tremendous amount of hard work to ensure that our 2014 Girl Scout Cookie Program was a success,” said Villie M. Appoo, GSSI Chief Executive Officer. “I’d like to thank each and every one of them for their dedication and commitment to the Girl Scout Leadership Experience.”
The Girl Scout Cookie Program helps girls gain five valuable skills – goal-setting, decision-making, money management, people skills and business ethics – that will benefit them throughout life. In addition, proceeds from the cookie program help Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois recruit and train adult volunteers, provide financial assistance so Girl Scouting is available to all girls, improve and maintain camp properties, and develop and deliver extensive program activities for girls.
Girl Scouts and cookies share a rich history. While recipes and box designs have changed over the years, selling cookies remains an important part of today’s Girl Scout program. The activity of selling cookies is directly related to the Girl Scouts’ purpose of helping all girls reach their full potential and helping them become strong, confident and resourceful citizens. All cookie proceeds stay in southern Illinois.
Many successful businesswomen today say that got their start selling Girl Scout Cookies. While participating in cookie activities, girls are members of a team working toward a common goal, with each girl striving to do her best. Customers had the opportunity to not only choose from eight varieties of cookies for themselves, but they could also purchase cookies to benefit GSSI’s Gift of Caring program. This year, GSSI partnered with local American Red Cross chapters for its annual Gift of Caring program, and donated cookies will be used to aid in family disasters in southern Illinois.
Girl Scouting has inspired more than 50 million girls and women since its founding in 1912. Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois is a high-capacity Girl Scout council serving about 14,000 girls and 5,000 adult volunteers in 40½ counties in southern Illinois. GSSI is the premier organization providing all girls in southern Illinois a Girl Scout Leadership Experience.
The mission of Girl Scouting states: Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. Girl Scouts is the world's pre-eminent organization dedicated solely to girls where, in an accepting and nurturing environment, girls build character and skills for success in the real world. In partnership with committed adults, girls develop qualities that will serve them all their lives — like strong values, social conscience and conviction about their own potential and self-worth.
Today’s Girl Scouts not only enjoy camping and crafts, they explore math and science and learn about diversity, good citizenship, leadership and teamwork. Girl Scouting is the place where girls experience the fun, friendship and power of girls together.
Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois is a nonprofit organization supported by United Ways throughout the region. Girl Scouts is a Proud Partner of United Way.
For more information, call Tricia Higgins at 618-242-5079 or visit the website www.gsofsi.org.