Girl Scouts of Suffolk County bring runners, walkers for Tough Cookie 5K
Dozens of girls and their families laced up their sneakers for the inaugural Girl Scouts of Suffolk County “Tough Cookie” fun run and walk in Bayport Saturday, June 13.
The fitness-oriented fundraiser featured a trail that ran through the wooded lakeside of Camp Edey, the Girl Scouts of Suffolk County’s outdoor camping and activity space, for a competitive 5K race and a 1-mile “Family Fun Walk” as well as games, crafts, music, yoga, face painting and other activities.
“It is so important that kids get outdoors, and our camp programming helps girls step away from their technology, get outside and just be kids again,” said Tammy Severino, president and CEO of Girl Scouts of Suffolk County. “It gives a tremendous sense of self, allows them to explore and conquer new challenges and tap into a creative part of themselves.”
Category winners of the 5K race included Olivia Pearl, 13, of Hauppauge; Ella Mulienburg, 14, also of Hauppauge; and Ella Schoeppler, 13, of Shoreham. All participants in the 5K received a commemorative Tough Cookie medal.
The run was named after the signature annual fundraising event for Girl Scouts, and a variety of Girl Scout Cookies, including the new Exploremores cookie introduced this year, were on hand for participants in the day’s events.
Proceeds from the event will support Girl Scouts of Suffolk County programs, including leadership development, STEM education, entrepreneurship opportunities, scholarships, outdoor adventure experiences and camp programming for girls throughout Suffolk County.
Sponsors of the event included Stony Brook Medicine, Sunshine Physical Therapy, Executive Landscapes, BSI, Campbell’s Bakery, The Pizzeria, and Michael Starrantino.
