Knoxville, TN (March 13, 2008):  Local Girl Scouts who have earned the top honor Girl Scouts of the USA bestows, the Gold Award, will be honored at the historic Tennessee Theatre on Saturday, April 5, 2008, at 1 p.m.

The Girl Scout Gold Award symbolizes outstanding accomplishments in leadership, planning and personal development.  A girl builds on her experiences in Girl Scouting to complete an award project that fulfills a need in her community.

Forty-two Girl Scouts from Tanasi Council earned the Gold Award this year.  Their award projects cover many walks of life, including:

• Establishing a public library in Xi’an, China
• Collecting and refurbishing more than 400 pairs of running shoes for people who are homeless
• Providing care packages for animals waiting to be adopted at the Young-Williams Animal Center
• Designing and building a nesting area for barn swallows in the Freels Bend area.

Congressman John. Duncan Jr. will present the keynote address, WBIR-TV’s Bill Williams will serve as master of ceremonies and the theatre’s house organist, Dr. Bill Snyder, will begin prelude music at 12:30 p.m.
  
Girl Scouts who have earned Girl Scouting’s second and third highest honors, the Silver Award and Bronze Award, will also be honored.

The general public is invited to attend the free gala celebration.  No tickets are required, and the event is open seating.

About Girl Scouts of Tanasi Council….
Girls Scouts of Tanasi Council, Inc. is based in Knoxville, Tennessee, and serves 10,000 girls in 16 East Tennessee counties.  More than 3,000 volunteers work with Tanasi. Additionally, hundreds of girls enjoy summer outdoor living every year at Camp Tanasi on 450 acres on Norris Lake in Anderson County.

Girl Scouts of the USA is the world’s largest organization dedicated to helping all girls everywhere build character and gain skills for success in the real world. Founded in 1912 by Juliette Gordon Low, Girl Scouts’ membership has grown from 18 members in Savannah, Georgia, to nearly four million members throughout the United States, including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, and in more than 80 countries through USA Girl Scouts Overseas.