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Dear Girl Scout Rock the Mall Participants,
WE DID IT! We want to say thank you for all your support for our magnificent event, Girl Scouts Rock the Mall: 100th Anniversary Sing-Along. On Saturday, June 9, we hosted 250,000 Girl Scouts from around the world for over seven hours of programming including musical performances, yoga instruction, a vintage Girl Scout fashion show, and educational news trivia. We had girls from all fifty states and 112 councils along with international guests from England, Mexico, Australia and even Japan. All united by a common bond of sisterhood and love of Girl Scouts.
The Washington Post wrote a wonderful article highlighting the day's event and capturing the celebration of girls' leadership and friendship. In addition, there were many more headlines in newspapers and in media outlets around the country.
Girl Scout Ani Hesse led the crowd in a record-breaking flash mob to the official theme song " Ignite!". The Sing-Along was a musical walk down memory lane. Traditional Girl Scout songs were sung by Rashida Jolley, Teresa, Katy Benko, Laura Dodd, Erin Willett and Candace Coles: all Girl Scouts. Sylver Logan Sharp fired up the crowd with an original song about girl leadership. Girl Scouts embraced "We Are Family" as an anthem, as Sylver kept 250,000 Girl Scouts moving. American Idol finalist and Girl Scout Thia Megia sang Girl Scout songs and introduced Dana Marie, the Girl Scout winner of the K12 " I Want to Rock the Mall" YouTube contest, who rocked the crowd with her "Girl Scout Cookie Rap". Melinda Caroll updated a Girl Scout favorite "Make New Friends" and gave it a new hip-hop twist. SAVVY, the only group with three boys, had the crowd dancing, singing and yes, even screaming! We were thrilled that Dove launched their "Women Who Should be Famous" campaign at our event. The campaign celebrates inspirational real women and helps girls find and recognize role models in their own lives.
Not only did you all enjoy Girl Scouts Rock the Mall, you enjoyed our beautiful city and all it has to offer as well. The Smithsonian reported an additional 250,000 visitors as compared to the same week in 2011! We are very grateful to the DC Fire Department who quickly moved to mist the crowds in the height of the heat to the utter delight of thousands of girls who had a giant "sprinkler" party on the National Mall.
We would like to thank everyone for sharing their wonderful memories and photos on our social media sites. Many of you have shared great suggestions and comments about Girl Scouts Rock the Mall including how we could have improved the availability of water on the Mall. We will pass along your comments to the National Park Service for future planning.
Thank you for coming. We could not have achieved the largest gathering of Girl Scouts in history without you! Juliette Gordon Low once said, "The work of today is the history of tomorrow, and we are its makers." Indeed you proved this quote to be absolutely true!
We thank you on behalf of the quarter of a million Girl Scout sisters, friends and family that helped us usher in the next 100 years of Girl Scouting.
You all ROCK!
Lidia and Diane with their Girl Scout daughters
Diane Tipton, President of the Board and Lidia Soto-Harmon, CEO
Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital
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