Girl Scouts To Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a Day On, Not a Day Off
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 14, 2011
Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona
Contact: Debbie Rich
Tucson- While many students and families will be spending the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday off, inSouthern Arizona families will be gathering to spend a day giving back to the community. On January 16, 2012 the community will come together for a day of service to pay tribute to the teachings of Dr. King during a day of action sponsored by the Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona.
On this “Day On, Not a Day Off” Girl Scouts will join youth from all over Southern Arizona , as well as community organizations including the Big Brothers Big Sisters, Ben’s Bells, the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Beads of Courage, Learn and Serve Arizona, and Volunteer Southern Arizona, for a day of remembrance, connection, and community action. Opportunities for action will include over fifteen service projects including creating pieces for Ben’s Bells wind chimes, card making for troops overseas, painting a mural of change, no-sew blankets, making banners for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, and soap making for refugees.
While Girl Scouts have been actively involved in service learning projects, this is their second year hosting A Day On, Not a Day Off. Girl Scout CEO,Debbie Rich, is very proud of the event, which has continued to grow each year, “Dr. King once said, ‘Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.’ We are thrilled to be going beyond the dream and providing a way to promote unity, help meet community needs, and emphasize the importance of volunteering. I urge the community to join us on this holiday in service to others and help make a difference.”
Monday’s event is open to the general public. Girl Scouts encourage families and adults, young and old, to come out and lend a hand. Rich emphasizes, “This is a way we can teach our children how to help others and build youth of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place.” A Day On, Not a Day off will take place atPeterHowellElementary School,401 North Irving Avenue, from 11am to 2pm. The event will kick off at 11am with a swearing-in of local AmeriCorps members and follow with service projects and a Showcase of Service presentation from the 2011 Tucson Youth Leadership Retreat.
For more information on A Day On, Not a Day Off, please contact Kristi Pallack, Girl Scouts’Missionto Market Coordinator, kpallack@girlsscoutssoaz.org, or visit the Girl Scouts’ website: GirlScoutsSoAz.org.
About Girl Scouts
Girl Scouts is the world’s preeminent leadership development organization dedicated to helping build girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. GSSA serves over 14,000 girls in Southern Arizonaand includes over 2,000 adult volunteers. Our goals are to provide a wide range of contemporary programs that reflect the unique needs and interests of all girls living in Southern Arizona, to empower girls to reach their full potential, and to give girls a voice in their community and in their own lives. For more information on Girl Scouting in Southern Arizona, please contact Debbie Rich, CEO, at drich@girlscoutssoaz.org or at (520) 319-3168.
