(FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-Houston, January 2, 2003) Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council (GSSJC), in collaboration with the Houston Aeros will host the Cookie Sale Kickoff Pep Rally for the 54th Annual Cookie Sale at COMPAQ Center, Sunday, January 5, from 1:30 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. Nearly 4,000 local Girl Scouts, troop leaders, and their parents will participate in fun games and activities in "Cookie Town" around the concourse, to learn how to sell safely door-to-door, how to accept checks from customers, and set goals for the sale. Frost Bank volunteers will provide materials and know how on banking along with an antique teller windows. ABC/Interbake Foods, the Girl Scout cookie baker, will teach "fun facts" about cookies, and provide cookies for tasting. "Cookieville", the suburb for Cookie Town, has refrigerator boxes decorated as houses. Volunteers will be stationed in each box to role-play with Girl Scouts who are learning salesmanship. Other activities include a Cookie Toss, and a Cookie Town Tattoo Parlor, where each Girl Scout will receive a temporary tattoo of Luna the Leopard. The leopard is the endangered species mascot for the 54th Annual Girl Scout Cookie Sale.

Everyone will gather in the arena for a giant Cookie Sale Pep Rally. The girls will be treated to performances from the Synchro Starz Intermediate Skating Team from the Aerodrome - Willowbrook Ice Skating Complex, dancing cookies, singers and music videos. The 2002 Council High Seller, Junior Girl Scout Morgan Barton, will drop the ceremonial starting puck at game time and Brownie Girl Scout Chelsee Jernigan, will sing the National Anthem.

"The Cookie Sale is about much more than just cookies. It is a quality, no-cost program for any Girl Scout that wants to participate, and helps to teach teamwork, budgeting, presentation skills, and goal-setting," says Mary Vitek, chief executive officer of the San Jacinto Council. "It also fosters an entrepreneurial spirit for our girls, as they decide where and how they are going to sell the cookies, as well as how to spend their proceeds from the sale," she adds.

Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council is the premiere organization for all girls-building character, values and skills for a lifetime. As the largest Girl Scout Council in Texas, San Jacinto serves more than 55,000 girls and 14,000 adults in 21 east and southeast Texas counties. For information about joining Girl Scouts, call 1-800-392-4340 and ask for Membership. Visit us online at www.gssjc.org.

GSSJS Pluralism Statement
Embracing and promoting pluralism is an integral part of every activity and plan of Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council, not disconnected or separate projects. Only individuals willing to accept and be educated about the basic tenet that Girl Scouting is for all girls may serve in volunteer leadership or staff positions.

Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council l Brand Management & Fund Development Department
3110 Southwest Freeway l Houston, TX 77098