For the tenth year, the Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona will give girls from military families a cheap weekend at camp.
Girls ages 7 to 17 are eligible if they have a parent currently serving in or retired from the U.S. Armed Forces. That includes reservists and members of the National Guard.
From Friday, June 30 to Sunday July, 2, 50 girls will spend the weekend on Mount Lemmon at the Girl Scouts' Camp Whispering Pines.
Here's the kicker: You don't have to be a Girl Scout to attend, and it only costs $25 thanks to sponsors.
If you want your daughter to go, there are still a few spots left, but you'll need to act fast. You can visit girlscoutssoaz.org and click the "Camp" tab or call 327-2288 to register.
Called Operation Red Shirt, a reference to wearing a red shirt on Friday to honor service members, the weekend crams a traditional Girl Scout camp experience into just a few days, says Kristen Hernandez, the chief operation officer for the Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona.
The weekend includes campfires, s'mores, hiking, archery, rock climbing and ropes course. Plus plenty of songs.
"We want to serve any and every girl, but we know being in Southern Arizona, whether Tucson, Yuma or Sierra Vista, we're very heavy on military installations ..." Hernandez says. "Girl Scouts of the USA can be a constant in their life. Whether they're stationed in Florida or Tucson, they can jump back in and not a skip a beat ... They build sisterhood and a sense of belonging, so we want to continue that through the camp experience. There's something to be said for being with other girls who know what it's like to have a parent in the military."
