It's Girl Scout Cookie Season in Eastern Pennsylvania!

PHILADELPHIA, Jan.13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania (GSEP) will kick off the official start of the Girl Scout Cookies® season with a diverse lineup of activities and opportunities for girls and fans of the organization as it celebrates its 100th year of providing young women with leadership opportunities. The cookie program will run from January 19, 2012 through March 4, 2012. This year's program is themed "What Can a Cookie Do?" and continues its tradition of providing girls with an avenue to develop financial literacy and important leadership skills while earning proceeds for their team and council activities for the remainder of the year. While many other regions are increasing the price of a cookie package this year, the price of a GSEP Cookie package will remain at $3.50.

2012 Cookie Program activities include:

- 2012 Cookie Program Kick Off – January 14, 2012 – Lehigh Valley, PA

• Time: 11:15 a.m. – 2:15 p.m.

Independence Family Fun Center, 4345 Independence Drive, Schnecksville, PA 18078

Activities include rock climbing, cookie box sculpture building, roller-skating, and more. The event is free and no pre-registration is required, requiring an incremental fee for roller-skating only. Girls who participate in at least two activities will receive a Cookie Rally patch.

- 2012 Cookie Program Kick Off – January 19, 2012 – Philadelphia

• Time: 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

One Liberty Place, Philadelphia, PA 19103

Girl Scouts will celebrate the official commencement of Girl Scout Cookie program with a kickoff event outside the popular Shops at Liberty Place at 16th & Walnut Streets in center city Philadelphia. The Phillie Phanatic will be making a guest appearance between noon and 1:00pm.

- 2012 Cookie Program Kick Off – January 21, 2012 – Reading, PA

• Time: 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Reading Public Museum, 500 Museum Road, Reading, PA 19611

All GSEP troops are invited to this special kickoff event. Regular museum admission applies for adults; free admission for all Girl Scouts who arrive in uniform. Girls will enjoy museum performances, participate in cookie box art activities and take a special tour of the various Reading Public Museum exhibits.

- Super Bowl Walk Around Weekend – February 4-5, 2012

• Time Varies

Location varies across GSEP's nine-county domain.

Girl Scouts will be walking door-to-door in neighborhoods throughout GSEP's nine-county domain selling cookies during Super Bowl weekend.

- Wawa Days – February 11-12, 2012

• Time: 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Various store locations across GSEP's nine-county domain. For complete list of participating stores, visit gsep.org/cookies/cookie-booths.php.

Girl Scouts and troop leaders will be stationed with cookies at various participating Wawa stores across the eastern Pennsylvania region.

- Operation Cookies From Home Collections – January 19-March 9, 2012

Cookies From Home (CFH) is a partnership between GSEP and the USO to provide Girl Scout Cookies to men and women of the Armed Forces serving abroad. Girl Scout troops will collect monetary donations designated toward gathering packages of cookies to be sent to U.S. Military abroad at the conclusion of the program.

- Operation Cookies From Home Drop-Offs – March 10 & 17, 2012

• Time: 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Cookies are dropped off at GSEP service centers across GSEP's nine-county domain.  These cookies will then be shipped to U.S. Military abroad.

- Bling Your Booth Contest for Girl Scouts – Voting March 20-April 20, 2012

• Girl Scouts will spend the first portion of the cookie program decorating their sales booth according to one of four different categories in hopes of becoming an overall winner and receiving a prize. GSEP will select two finalists from each category, and fans and friends of GSEP are subsequently invited to cast their votes on the GSEP Facebook page for the winner in each classification.

- 5=52 Contest for Cookie Lovers – January 19-March 4, 2012

• The 5=52 Contest is a chance for customers to win Girl Scout Cookies for one year. For every five packages of cookies purchased per customer, he or she has a chance to enter into a drawing for 52 free packages of cookies. Five winners will be chosen randomly at the conclusion of the Cookie Program.

Participation in the Girl Scouts Cookie Program allows young girls the opportunity to develop five key life skills: goal setting, money management, business ethics, people skills and decision-making. With eight varieties of cookies available, girls can enjoy the programming offered and develop their leadership skills. For detailed information on the cookie program and events, a local Cookie Locator application, or to learn more about the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania, visit www.GSEP.org.

About Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania

Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania (GSEP) is the largest girl-serving organization in Pennsylvania and builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.  GSEP serves 41,000 girls in partnership with 15,000 volunteers in Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Chester, Delaware, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton and Philadelphia counties.  Today, 80 percent of women in leadership and executive roles in the U.S. were Girl Scouts.  Girl Scout alumnae comprise 70 percent of women in the U.S. Congress.  For further information about Girl Scouting, how to join, volunteer, reconnect, or donate, call 215-564-4657 or visit www.GSEP.org.

For more information, contact:
Kate O'Neil
For the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania
215-790-4367
[email protected]
Twitter.com/GirlScoutsEPenn

SOURCE Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania