Help Girl Scouts make birthday cakes

PERKINS TWP. — Sandusky Bay Girl Scouts members are hosting their second-annual Birthday Cake Donation Drive in honor of Girl Scouts founder Juliette Gordon Low's birthday. The Girl Scouts are accepting donations of boxed cake mixes, canned icing and birthday candles. After receiving these items, the girls will take these donations and assemble kits in 9-by-13 aluminum baking pans with a 12-ounce can of soda. They'll provide the recipients of these kits with everything needed to make a birthday cake. "The girls assemble the kits so that the cakes remain shelf-stable," said Arlene Frankart, service unit director for the Sandusky Bay Girl Scouts. "The recipients of the kits get to bake the cake and decorate it." So why did the troop take up this initiative? "The girls feel very passionately about everyone deserving to celebrate their birthday with a yummy cake," said Frankart, noting this group encompasses all girls in Erie County-based troops. She expects at least half of the active 110 participants to attend an upcoming cake kit-assembly event. The Sandusky Bay Girl Scouts partnered with Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio to distribute these kits to locals in need. Second Harvest "identifies those in need and get the kits into the hands of those who need them," Frankart said. Last year, the Girl Scouts donated 151 kits. This year's goal equals 250 kits. For those willing and/or able to donate, there are four drop-off locations for supplies in the Sandusky area: • Perkins Police Department, 2610 Columbus Ave., Sandusky • Mr. Smith's Coffee House, 140 Columbus Ave. Sandusky • Sandusky VFW Post 2529, 604 W. Perkins Ave. • Miracle-Ear, 4920 Milan Road (U.S. 250) Sandusky The deadline to drop off these items is Oct. 24. People can contact Arlene Frankart at 419-357-4617 for more information or other ways to donate.