2016 Girl Scout Cookie Program MEDIA KIT

MEDIA KIT
2016 Girl Scout Cookie Program
www.gsccc.org
Please direct media inquires to
Kaitlin Smith, public relations manager,
at 757-549-0747 or kaitlins@gsccc.org.
Important Cookie Program Dates
January 9 - Order taking begins
February 18 - Cookie delivery begins
Media Advisory
February 20 - Cookie booths start
WHEN: Starting January 9, 2016, Girl Scouts will be
going door to door taking orders for cookies. Cookie delivery
begins February 18, and booth sales begin February 20.
The cookie program ends March 20, 2016.
March 20 - Cookie program ends
COOKIES: Through Little Brownie Bakers, Girl Scouts of the
Colonial Coast will be offering eight varieties of cookies this
year: Thin Mints, Samoas, Tagalongs, Trefoils, Do-si-dos,
Savannah Smiles, Rah-Rah Raisins and Toffee-tastic
(gluten free).
PRICE: Locally, Girl Scout Cookies are $4 per box. The
gluten-free Toffee-tastic cookies are $5 per box. All
proceeds stay in southeastern Virginian and northeastern
North Carolina to benefit local Girl Scouts.
DETAILS: The Girl Scout Cookie Program is the nation’s
leading financial literacy and entrepreneurial program for girls.
Buying Girl Scout Cookies is about more than just handing
over money for a box of cookies. It’s about the skills a girl
gains from interacting directly with customers. It’s about
the experience of running her own cookie business and
working with other. Selling cookies teaches goal setting,
decision making, money management, people skills and
business ethics—aspects essential to leadership, success
and life.
Note: All Girl Scout councils operate their cookie sales independently.
All information about local sales should be derived from this
media kit, online at www.gsccc.org or by contacting the
communications department at Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast.
Information from other outlets may not be accurate or apply
to our cookie sale.
Purchase cookies
with a credit card!
New this year—local
Girl Scout troops have
the option to offer a
credit card payment
option for customers
at cookie booths. Adult
volunteers at the cookie
booths will handle the
credit card transactions
using a mobile credit card
reader. Money from the
sale will go directly into
the Girl Scout troop’s
bank account. Each Girl Scout troop is
responsible for paying credit card transaction
fees. Not all cookie booths will have the credit
card payment option. At booths without this
option, customers can pay with cash or check.
Digital Cookie
For the second year in a row, hungry shoppers
will be able to purchase cookies online from local
Girl Scouts through Digital Cookie. Last year, the
groundbreaking platform expanded the cookie
program by adding a digital layer to broaden and
strengthen the skills girls gain in the traditional
program, including goal setting, decision making,
money management, people skills and business
ethics. Last year, during the 2015 cookie program,
Girl Scouts in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina sold over 27,000 boxes of
cookies using the online sales platform.
This year, the platform is being expanded to offer
more features for Girl Scouts, volunteers and
customers. More information will be coming soon.
As with the traditional cookie program, the total
net revenue earned from sales on Digital Cookie
will support Girl Scouts in southeastern Virginia
and northeastern North Carolina.
Girl Scout Cookies Get Social
Looking for cookies nearby? We have an app for
that! The Cookie Finder app is free and available
to download in the iTunes Store and Android
Marketplace.
Our Cookies
Through Little Brownie Bakers, Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast is offering eight Girl Scout Cookie varieties this
year: Thin Mints, Samoas, Tagalongs, Do-si-dos, Trefoils, Savannah Smiles, Rah-Rah Raisins and Toffee-tastic.
Guide to Girl Scout Cookie Nutrition
• No peanuts or tree nuts in Trefoils, Rah-Rah Raisins or Thin Mints.
• No high fructose corn syrup and zero grams of trans fat in all eight cookie varieties.
• No hydrogenated oils in Trefoils, Do-si-dos, Rah-Rah Raisins and Savannah Smiles.
• No artificial colors in Trefoils, Do-si-dos, Tagalongs, Samoas, Thin Mints,
Rah-Rah Raisins and Savannah Smiles.
• Samoas, Thin Mints and Tagalongs are made with 100 percent real cocoa.
• Do-si-dos and Rah-Rah Raisins contain nutritious whole grain oats.
• Thin Mints are vegan.
Resources Available for Download
Press Releases
All press releases are available at www.gsccc.org/news-and-media.
• 2016 Girl Scout Cookie Program Calendar Announcement
• 2016 Girl Scout Cookie Program Booth Announcement
• Girl Scout to Host 8th Annual Samoa Soiree
• Digital Cookie
Videos
• Thirty and 60 second Girl Scout Cookie public service announcements
are available at: www.youtube. com/girlscoutvideos.
Photos
• Cookies, cookie boxes, theme clipart, logos and images of girls selling cookies are available for free download at www.littlebrownie.com/clipart.
Recipes
• From Savannah Smiles Lemon Chiffon Pie to Do-si-dos Peanut Thai Chicken, you can find tasty and
creative recipes at www.littlebrownie.com/cookies.
Gift of Caring
For years, Girls Scouts across the country have used
Girl Scout Cookies to show their appreciation for men
and women in uniform. Gift of Caring is a nationwide
community service project through which Girl Scouts
ask customers to pay for boxes of cookies to be
donated to the troop’s chosen Hometown Heroes.
Many Girl Scouts choose to send cookies to U.S. troops
overseas. Local Girl Scouts will deliver the cookies to
Soldiers’ Angels, who will ship them overseas.
Last year, local Girl Scouts donated 20,855 boxes
of Girl Scout Cookies to their Hometown Heroes.
For Immediate Release
Girl Scouts to Host 8th Annual Samoa Soiree
Find out just how sophisticated a Girl Scout Cookie can be! Girl Scouts of the Colonial
Coast will be hosting Samoa Soiree on Saturday, March 5 from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Half
Moone Cruise and Celebration center in Norfolk. At the event, top chefs in Hampton
Roads create unique desserts and appetizers using Girl Scout Cookies as key ingredients.
The evening includes delicious food, live music and a silent auction. Tickets are $60
each through February 19, and then the price increases to $75 per ticket.
The culinary delights will be judged by local celebrities, including Patrick Evans-Hylton,
local food writer, educator and critic. Entertainment for
the evening will be provided by 504 Supreme Band.
Tastes from last year’s event included: Tagalongs peanut
butter crunch cupcakes by Coastal Grill, golden lamb chops
with Samoas mashed sweet potatoes by Farm Fresh Supermarkets and lobster and Savannah
Smiles stuffed shrimp over quinoa stir fry by Cyprus Grille at Embassy Suites, which earned best in show.
SamoaSoirée
Proceeds from the event will support the Opportunity Fund, which provides financial assistance to girls
whose families need help with Girl Scout membership, summer camp and program fees.
8th Annual
An Adult-Only Tasting Event
Saturday, March 5
6-10 p.m.
Half Moone Cruise &
Celebration Center
Norfolk, Va
The event is being generously
sponsored by: