National Girl Scout Cookie Day Celebrates World's Largest Girl-Led Business

PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania (GSEP) continues to celebrate the 2013 Girl Scout Cookies® season with a brand new national holiday. In an effort to highlight the mission of building leadership skills in girls,  GSEP joins Girl Scouts of the USA in recognizing February 8, 2013 as the first ever National Girl Scout Cookie Day.  Participation in the Cookie Program allows Girl Scouts to develop five key life skills: goal setting, decision-making, money management, business ethics, and people skills. On this new holiday, girls across the nation will be asking 50 million cookie fans to buy more boxes of Girl Scout Cookies in honor of the organization's success in running the largest girl-led business enterprise in the world. 

In celebration, GSEP has joined forces with the culinary staff at renowned chef Emeril Lagasse's restaurants in Bethlehem, PA, (Emeril's Chop House, Emeril's Italian Table, and Burgers And More by Emeril) to create original dessert recipes which incorporate Girl Scout Cookies as ingredients. These unique cookie desserts will be available in all locations for purchase beginning February 8 through March 3, the end of cookie season in eastern Pennsylvania, and will incorporate cookie favorites, including Shortbreads, Caramel DeLites and the popular Thin Mints.

"As CEO of the Eastern Pennsylvania council, I love the Cookie Program for two reasons:  because of the leadership skills girls develop, especially money management and business ethics, but also, of course, because the cookies are delicious!" said Natalye Paquin, CEO of GSEP.  "It is a pleasure to partner with local chefs in such a unique way while highlighting what a girl can do when she is given the skills she needs to become a leader."  

GSEP will continue to celebrate via additional community involvement:

Public Affairs

• Allentown, PA Mayoral Proclamation – Mayor Ed Pawlowski of the City of Allentown will officially proclaim February 8, 2013 to be National Girl Scout Cookie Day in Allentown and urge all citizens to support the growth and development of the city's young women through the Girl Scouts organization annual cookie program.
• Reading, PA Mayoral Proclamation – Mayor Vaughn D. Spencer of the City of Reading will officially proclaim February 8, 2013 to be National Girl Scout Cookie Day, and urges city residents to purchase Girl Scout Cookies to support the growth and development of the city's young women.
• Philadelphia, PA Mayoral Proclamation – Mayor Michael Nutter of the City of Philadelphia will officially proclaim February 8, 2013 to be National Girl Scout Cookie Day in Philadelphia, and urges all citizens to support the growth and development of the city's young women through the Girl Scouts Cookie Program.

Pop-Up Cookie Booths
GSEP has identified three cookie booth locations on where sales will take place on February 8, to which members of the media are invited to support the Girl Scout Cookie Program. The following locations will be available for media visitation:

• SEPTA El - Drexel
  31st Street & Market Street
  Philadelphia, PA 19104
  3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
• Coventry Mall
  351 W Schuylkill Road
  Pottstown, PA 19465
  12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
• Redner's Markets
  101 Held Drive
  Northampton, PA 18067
  3:00 PM - 5:00 PM

When it comes to skill building, statistics show the Girl Scout Cookie Program works. According to a survey from the Girl Scout Research Institute, 85 percent of Girl Scout "cookie entrepreneurs" learn money management by developing budgets, taking cookie orders, and handling customers' money. Eighty-three percent build business ethics; 80 percent learn goal setting; 77 percent improve decision making; and 75 percent develop people skills.

The cookie program in eastern Pennsylvania will run through March 3, 2013. This year's program is themed "What Can a Girl Do?" and continues its tradition of providing girls with an avenue to develop financial literacy and important leadership skills while earning proceeds for troop and council activities for the remainder of the year. 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.

Follow us on Twitter @GirlScoutsEPenn and like "Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania" on Facebook!

About Girl Scouts of the USA
Founded in 1912, Girl Scouts of the USA is the preeminent leadership development organization for girls, with 3.2 million girl and adult members worldwide. Girl Scouts is the leading authority on girls' healthy development, and builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. The organization serves girls from every corner of the United States and its territories. Girl Scouts of the USA also serves American girls and their classmates attending American or international schools overseas in 90 countries. For more information on how to join, volunteer or reconnect with, or donate to Girl Scouts, call 800-GSUSA-4-U (212-852-8000) or visit www.girlscouts.org.

About Emeril's Restaurants at Sands Bethlehem
The Sands Bethlehem offers a wide array of dining options from casual to upscale at eight delicious restaurants, including three by world-renowned chef Emeril Lagasse: Emeril's Chop House, Emeril's Italian Table, and Burgers And More (BAM) by Emeril. Emeril's Chop House, a classic American steakhouse, serves tender cuts of prime steak or fresh seafood. Emeril's Italian Table features family-style classics from the Old World. And BAM serves a distinctive twist on all-American favorites, such as hand-crafted burgers and fresh cut fries. The restaurants began opening in 2009 with the grand opening of Sands Bethlehem, which is located on the site of the historic Bethlehem Steel plant, approximately 60 minutes from Philadelphia and the northern New Jersey suburbs and 90 minutes from New York City. Guests under 21 years of age must check in with security at the Sands entrance to be escorted to the restaurants. View the full restaurant menus and find more information at www.EmerilsRestaurants.com. Make a reservation online or by calling (484) 726-3777.

SOURCE Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania