When: Saturday February 20th @ 6:30pm
Where: Lakeland Yacht & Country Club

Girl Scouts of West Central Florida (GSWCF) is pleased to announce the Dessert First Dinner & Auction Lakeland to benefit the nearly 30,000 girls and 13,000 adult volunteers served by the council in its eight-county jurisdiction. The event will be held Saturday, Feb. 20 at 6:30 p.m. at the Lakeland Yacht & Country Club (929 Lake Hollingsworth Dr., Lakeland).

Six local chefs will use their creative flair to create Girl Scout Cookie-themed desserts using such favorites as Thin Mints, Samoas, Trefoils, Tagalongs and Do-Si-Dos. Chefs confirmed to participate in this year’s event are with Chalet Suzanne, Columbia Restaurant, Deli Delicacies, Lakeland Yacht & Country Club, Sweet Dreams Desserts and Terrie Lobb Catering.

“Dessert First is a unique way to highlight our cookies – everyone’s favorites – in new and exciting ways, as well as showcase our mission as the leading organization for girls,” said Elayne Dorsey, interim CEO, Girl Scouts of West Central Florida. “And, it’s always fun to sample the chefs’ creations!”

In addition to sampling the desserts with cocktails before dinner, Dessert First guests will have the opportunity to bid on silent auction items such as gift baskets, original artwork by artist Paul Schulz, and a Blu-Ray disk player, among other items. A live auction will be held after dinner, and will feature two AirTran Airlines tickets anyplace in the continental U.S., a wine tasting for 12 and a 2010 Tony Awards package, as well as a few special items that will be announced during the auction.

Dessert First is a terrific way to highlight the 2010 Cookie Program, now through March 21. Girl Scout Cookies are not only an icon of American culture, but also the world’s leading business and financial literacy program for girls. Through the program, girls practice life skills such as planning, decision-making and customer service. During cookie activities, girls are members of a team working towards a common goal, with each girl striving to do her best.

Tickets for the Dessert First Dinner & Auction are $100 per person; for more information, visit www.gswcf.org. Table sponsorships are also available: (800) 881-4475, ext. 1792 or kchavez@gswcf.org.