WARWICK, RI – Cookies, cocktails and crazy cool auction items are a pretty good pitch when it comes to ideas for a girls’ night out – but especially when every dollar spent goes directly to The Girl Scouts of Southeastern New England.
An evolution of girl scout fashion filled the ballroom at the Crowne Plaza Providence Warwick as the sound of NBC 10 News Anchor Mario Hilario’s voice lead a live auction boasting trips, photography sessions, and exclusive experiences. The signature raspberry spritzer poured perfectly alongside a melt-in-your-mouth double shot espresso mousse & marshmallow lemon meringue dessert handcrafted by Res American Bistro were an indulgent appetizer as chefs from Ellie’s, The Boathouse & Hemenway’s served up treats so tasty, you wouldn’t want to leave without the recipe.
What’s the vibe: A marching band playing Taylor Swift literally walks into a ballroom and starts playing while you savor every bite of a custom crafted cookie paired to match the perfect wine – and you’re *not* dreaming.
As delicious as every bite was: oh, how the night was so much more than cookies and cocktails. Celebrating 111 years as an organization, the Girl Scouts Of Southeastern New England CEO Dana Borrelli-Murray reflected on where women stood in the world was when the now-famous cookie creators first began. “Girl Scouts was founded in the time when there might not have been a lot of joy in the lives of young women,” explains Borelli-Murray. “In 1912, you were limited. What was going to be your future was pretty limited as a girl.”
Today, the largest women’s leadership program in the world serves thousands of girls in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut in their Southeastern New England chapter alone. For the youth they serve, Borelli-Murray says the cookies we crave every season hold an entirely different meaning. “What I really have learned so quickly being in just my short time with Girl Scouts is how much cookie season really does change the way that kids see the world and how they’re able to interact through entrepreneurial skills, being able to build business plans, how to market your cookies, how to get in front of people, how to use your voice wisely and use your resources wisely, how to plan ahead and how to budget and make progress to goals- this is just a small little sliver of what we do.”
I mean, hey, calories don’t count when it’s for a cause like this-right?
To learn more about or make a donation to the Girl Scouts of Southern New England, visit their website: https://www.gssne.org/
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Emmalyn Reid 