Girl Scouts of Eastern PA & ArtsQuest Partner for “Girl Scout Cookie Crunch” Event February 8 at SteelStacks
Culinary experience to feature 20-plus Girl Scout Cookie-inspired dishes and desserts created by area chefs and restaurants; tickets go on sale today

The public is invited to sample a delicious array of dishes and desserts, all of them made with Girl Scout Cookies, as the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania, ArtsQuest and the region’s culinary community come together for the first “Girl Scout Cookie Crunch” event Sunday February 8, 2015, from 1-3 p.m. at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks. Tickets for the culinary experience are $35 for the public, $30 for ArtsQuest Members and $21 for active Girl Scouts ages 17 and under. They go on sale today, at www.artsquest.org and 610-332-3378.

At Girl Scout Cookie Crunch, attendees will enjoy more than 20 different offerings created by area restaurants and eateries. From amazing appetizers to decadent desserts, each will feature one of the eight Girl Scout Cookie brands such as Thin Mints®, Peanut Butter Patties®, Caramel Delights® or Shortbreads®.

“The Girl Scouts Cookie Program is the largest girl-led business in the world, and a great way for girls to fund their own adventures – including troop trips, camping, even international travel.” said Ken Anderson, Senior Director of Product Program at Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania. “Girl Scout Cookie Crunch is a fun opportunity for the community to come together to support Girls Scouts and celebrate the annual cookie sale which runs from January 15-March 8.”

Restaurants already confirmed to take part in the inaugural Girl Scout Cookie Crunch include Bear Creek of Macungie, Bruno Scipioni’s of Bethlehem and The Steel Pub of Bethlehem. The complete list of participating restaurants will be announced later this fall. All of the cookies used in dishes served at the event will be sold by local Girl Scouts, and a cookie booth will also be available at the ArtsQuest Center, providing attendees the opportunity to leave with plenty of their favorite cookies.

The media partner for Girl Scout Cookie Crunch is 100.7 WLEV. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania and the ArtsQuest™ Arts Education Fund, which helps to provide quality arts and education programs for area students. As a thank you to all attendees, all guests leaving the event will receive one box of Thanks A-Lots®, the popular Girl Scout cookie that’s celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2015.

Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania and ArtsQuest are also looking for additional restaurants and sponsors to be part of this new culinary event. Any restaurant or business interested in learning more may contact ArtsQuest’s Mark Demko at mdemko@artsquest.org or the Girl Scouts’ Carla Hickey at chickey@gsep.org.

For more information, visit http://www.artsquest.org/.

About Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania
Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania (GSEP) is the largest girl-serving organization in Pennsylvania and builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.  GSEP serves more than 40,000 girls in partnership with almost 15,000 volunteers in Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Chester, Delaware, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton and Philadelphia counties. Today, 80 percent of women in leadership and executive roles in the U.S. were Girl Scouts.  Girl Scout alumnae comprise 70 percent of women in the U.S. Congress.  For further information about Girl Scouting, how to join, volunteer, reconnect, or donate, call 215-564-2030 or visit www.gsep.org. Follow GSEP on Facebook or Twitter @GirlScoutsEPenn!

About ArtsQuest
ArtsQuest™ is a Bethlehem, PA-based nonprofit dedicated to presenting music, arts, festivals, cultural experiences and educational and outreach programs that aid in economic development, urban revitalization and community enrichment. Through festivals such as its flagship event, Musikfest®; the Banana Factory® cultural arts and education center; and the ArtsQuest Center and SteelStacks™ arts and cultural campus, ArtsQuest’s programming reaches more than 1.5 million people annually. For more information on ArtsQuest, visit www.artsquest.org or call 610-332-1300