About 100 Girl Scouts launched their Girls on the Go program June 14 involving several visits to local organizations, businesses and entertainment outlets so they can do things they may not otherwise have access to. Their first trip was to the Apple Computer store in Kenwood.

"The first trip was very exciting because they had a chance to work on the computers and learn how to make music and a lot of different things to do on the computer,'' said Melissa Wisby, director of communication for the Girl Scouts Great River Council. "We have several trips scheduled through July 19, ending with all groups coming together at Camp Timberhill in Middletown.''

Wisby said the girls will visit the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, where they will learn about various animals and receive a lesson in gardening.

Girls on the Go members spent time at the Apple Computer store in Kenwood learning about computers. The girls will visit a variety of places and do things they might not otherwise have access to. MALINDA HARTONG for The Enquirer

They are scheduled to tour Great American Ball Park today and attend a Reds game.

Other plans include a trip to the Contemporary Arts Center, where they will do an art project.

"While this is going on, each girl will be planning a project that will be completed at the end of the program,'' Wisby said.

The Girls on the Go program was funded by a $28,000 grant from the Charles H. Dater and Helen Steiner Rice Foundation and the Jack J. Smith Jr. Charity Trust.

The program involves girls from Mount Washington, Oakley, Pleasant Ridge, Mount Airy, Westwood and Colerain Township.

Camping experience

The Adventure Outpost in Winton Woods has been honored with a Great Lakes Regional Council First Place Partnership Award for a project also involving the Hamilton County Park District and the Cincinnati Recreation Commission.

Adventure Outpost is an overnight camp program in Winton Woods for children who are members of a commission recreation center.

The award was given by the National Park and Recreation Association.

The camping experience introduces city kids to a rural environment and promotes teamwork through team-building games, such as low-ropes initiative, a 23-foot climbing wall and a nature education program.

The park district assumed staffing costs when the recreation commission instituted budget cuts.

March of Dimes helped

March of Dimes will be $600 richer from coins thrown in the Northgate Mall fountain.

"We are proud that our Fountain Fund has played a role in helping to prevent birth defects,'' said Cindy Hart, assistant mall manager.

The mall designates a charity to receive the Fountain Fund money. Junior Achievement of Greater Cincinnati, the Hamilton County Special Olympics and the Northwest High School Boosters have been recipients.

Kids get chance to see Reds

Tri-State Chevy Dealers and the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Ohio & Kentucky are providing a treat for thousands of children and their families.

They are taking at least 10,000 to today's Reds game against the Cleveland Indians at Great American Ball Park.

The invitation comes from 28 General Motors dealers in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. They also participated in the Make A Difference Day campaign last October to benefit the foundation.

Steve Fahner, zone manager for Chevrolet in Cincinnati, said as sponsors of the Cincinnati Reds, the dealers receive opportunities they are able to put to good use.

"Chevrolet's long-standing relationship with the Make-A-Wish Foundation allows us the privilege to bring wish families to a game to enjoy an evening together," Fahner said. "Hosting these special children demonstrates what these partnerships are meant to do - to enhance their lives."

The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. It is the largest wish-granting charity in the world with 75 chapters in the United States and its territories and 27 international affiliates on five continents.

It has granted more than 127,000 wishes to children around the world since 1980.

For more information, go online at www.makeawishohio.org or call Michelle Savoldi, communications manager, at 877-206-9474