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A few scouts share their favorate parts of summer as they wait for the night of fun filled with activities to begin in their mall takeover Friday evening at the Imperial Valley Mall. (ERIC MILLER PHOTO / July 15, 2012) |
For the second year in a row, Girls Scouts from around the Imperial Valley got to stay past closing hours at the Imperial Valley Mall.
“This is our second annual I.V. Mall takeover,” said program manager Karla Flores. “We were just looking for a way for the girls to get together and have fun. Last year it went really well, so we decided to do it again this year.”
Alicia Swaim, manager of the Imperial Valley Mall, was crucial in the execution of the event, Flores said.
“She was just so helpful with everything, Flores said. “They really bent over backwards to help us make this happen.”
In addition to allowing the Girl Scouts to sleep in the mall, a few stores also stayed open late.
Second-year attendee Tori Hunt said she was excited to buy accessories at Claire’s.
“This year we get to shop around; last year we didn’t,” said Hunt, a 12-year-old from El Centro. “I also want to go to the Sweet Factory.”
Although Hunt had already seen the movie, “Katy Perry’s: A Part of Me,” she was still excited for the rest of the night.
“Last year I didn’t sleep all night, so I want to try that again this year,” Hunt said.
To help Hunt and the other Girl Scouts stay awake, Kay Hodges helped arrange part of the night’s events.
“We have someone coming to do a presentation on cyber-bullying and its effect on young girls,” Hodges said. “These girls range from the sixth to the 12th grade and it’s an issue they need to be aware of.”
In addition to the anti-bullying presentation, the Girl Scouts were also expecting a hula-hoop lesson from a Sunshine Hoops instructor.
“Last year we did Zumba, so this year we wanted to try something a little different,” Hodges said. “Hopefully all the girls will enjoy themselves and learn a little about being a good person.
Staff Writer Karina Lopez may be reached at klopez@ivpressonline.com
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