On this day of all days, we at Girl Scouts of Central Illinois once again express our gratitude for your giving and sharing to help us build girls of courage, confidence and character. With the lift of your generosity, in one month we hosted 25 different events, including 17 outdoor experiences of archery, boating, and challenge course; six equestrian programs; healthy living; and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). Through these events we impacted over 300 girls and 100 adults, while our outreach series team collaborated in over 30 schools, reaching over 700 girls with our new curriculum based on the It's Your Story Tell It Journey. Our mission marches on, thanks to you. Our gratitude is infinite, thanks to you.

Are you Man Enough to be a Girl Scout? You are. Know someone else who is? You do. And because of you, we did. We raised $5,313 and 106% of our goal to advance our mission in building girls of courage, confidence and character. On behalf of Girl Scouts of Central Illinois, thank you to our project owners--from business owners to board members to troop leaders. Our shoutout supporters--from mayors, aldermen and the governor to police officers, community members and a coach. Our donors--our friends, familiar and new--67 strong. On behalf of Girl Scouts of Central Illinois, thank you, thank you, thank you.

Are you Man Enough to be a Girl Scout? You are. Know someone else who is? You do. And because of you, we did. We raised $5,313 and 106% of our goal to advance our mission in building girls of courage, confidence and character. On behalf of Girl Scouts of Central Illinois, thank you to our project owners--from business owners to board members to troop leaders. Our shoutout supporters--from mayors, aldermen and the governor to police officers, community members and a coach. Our donors--our friends, familiar and new--67 strong. On behalf of Girl Scouts of Central Illinois, thank you, thank you, thank you.

Good things come in fives. We reached our $5,000 goal yesterday. And now we have surpassed it by 5% with five hours to go. Could we reach a double-nickel of $5,500 by 11:55pm tonight? Well, we're still cooking like the five Girl Scout chefs in the picture, so let's keep the kitchen humming and simmering with great gifts yet to be shared.

We did it! Because of you and your generosity to give and share and will us on, we have reached the top of our goal. And with time still in the bank to add on the impact, we are exhilarated and inspired to keep ascending as high as we can. We appreciate all of the oomph and one last push.

Nick Meredith of Champaign and LegalShield has just one question. Enough said.

The Urbana Police Department steps up to serve our community every day, and today UPD stepped up in an extra gracious way to serve Girl Scouts of Central Illinois and give to our Man Enough campaign. Thank you, UPD, with special shoutouts to Deputy Chief Sylvia Morgan and Officer Dean Hazen for helping from the campaign's onset to facilitate such support and being sports.

Mike Madigan, Hickory River Smokehouse owner and Urbana city alderman, accepted the Man Enough challenge and then gave it again on behalf of all girls, especially daughter and Girl Scout Eisla. You da man, Mike Madigan. Thank you so much for pushing us past both the $4,000 and 80% thresholds toward our goal with five days to go. Let's go!

Peter Blackmon ukes a Man Enough challenge to the fellow men of greater Vermilion County. When not strumming tiny guitars, Blackmon manages the David S. Palmer Arena in Danville, Ill., among his many talents. Thank you, Peter, for manning up and giving to Girl Scouts of Central Illinois as well as giving us a great ditty.

Danville Mayor Scott Eisenhauer is Man Enough. Know someone else who is? Please share the mayor's message of manning up and giving here to help empower girls through scouting.

State of Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner is Man Enough. And Illinois First Lady Diana Rauner is honorary president of Girl Scouts of Illinois. Know someone else who is man enough to be a Girl Scout? Please share the governor's message to man up and help empower girls through scouting.

Man Enough man up next is Jeremy Collins of Peoria, Ill. Collins is a builder by both day and night. During the day as a senior project manager, he helps Farnsworth Group design buildings, oversee construction projects and re-imagine the built environment we interact with every day. At night as a troop leader, he helps build girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place. Another powerful partnership to empower today's girls and build tomorrow's leaders.

Girl Scouts of Central Illinois and Laborers' Homes Development Corporation are both in the building business. Girl Scouts builds girls of courage, confidence and character. Laborers' Homes builds quality, affordable housing in underserved communities. Together, our team-building makes for a powerful partnership. Thank you, LHDC, for your generosity and showing you're Man Enough To Be A Girl Scout.

Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder is Man Enough. Know someone else who is? Please share the mayor's message to man up and help empower girls through scouting.

Here's looking at all of you and quite simply saying, "Thank you." Thank you, Douglas Johnson, for giving in honor of former scouts and southern Illinois council staff Kim Johnson (and his sis) and Janet Ridenour, the latter now sr. dir. of program services at our sister council in Connecticut. Thank you, Martin Erwin, for giving in honor of lifetime Girl Scout and current board member Deb Wozniak, who graciously gave herself. Thank you, everyone, for not only giving past our midway mark but past the 60% point with 16 days to go. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

We are bowled over by your generosity. Thanks to your gifts we are now just shy of our halfway point with under a three-week frame to spare. Please keep sharing with those you know are Man Enough and challenge them to match your pledge of support. The pins are placed. We're on our mark. Let's keep rolling strikes.

Jim Ashby steps up to the plate as our next Man Enough Man, a Decatur businessman and avid baseball player who believes girls hit it out of the park in being whatever they want to be. An engineer, a teacher, a printer, a pitcher. If she dreams it, she can be it. Girl Scouts helps her see all of the possibilities, so she can pick out her own pitch and round home. Step up, dig in, let's go!

It's gameday weekend, so go, give, go! Wear your red, your blue, your orange, your green. Don your favorite cap, jersey, good luck charm. And cheer your fave on to victory. We will be pulling extra hard for our friend and Man Enough ambassador Coach Spack, as he and the Redbirds take on the Iowa Hawkeyes. Team. Troop. Together we do great things through giving.

Coach Brock Spack celebrates winning...a lot. As the head football coach of Illinois State University, he has led the Redbirds to a 46-26 overall record and 30-6 at home, including a perfect 13-0 at Hancock Stadium since its renovation in 2013. As an educator and father, he understands though that the real spirit of winning is giving. Giving one's time and talent to help others realize their gifts, so they too will go on to give. Coach Spack encourages all of us to celebrate winning by giving.

Good things come in threes. We are grateful for such generosity to place us in the 30-30 club--30% toward our goal with just over 30 days to go. Let's keep going! Like savoring camp memories and the last of summer, let's keep making a splash to have a ripple effect.

Man Enough Man up next is John Carter, who knows a thing or two about precious gems. As owner of Jack Lewis Jewelers, he recognizes priceless brilliance no matter the size, just as he does as the father of a young daughter and as a community member. He recognizes the value of scouting, helping a girl polish her unique shine early on so she only sees a 14-carat reflection and shares that illumination with the world. John unites with Ceasar and Mark to spotlight why he is man enough to be a Girl Scout. How about you?

We just surpassed the cusp of another marker! Thank you Pat and Sarah Phalen for pushing us past the $1000 threshold and one-fifth forth the finish line with about 40 days to go. Who will be next to push us past yet another pinnacle? Your friend? Your father? Your brother? Encourage them to take the challenge today, so girls can meet any challenge they face tomorrow.

What a week. It was just the nudge we needed to put us over 15% toward our goal, similar to a Girl Scout making her way through the high ropes at one of our challenge courses. Focus and encouragement along with small steps lead to a significant achievement--from the starting line to a major marker. And then before she knows it, she's made it all the way around to the finish. Exhilarated that she just accomplished something she's never done before. Let's keep making our way.

Now let's hear from the Man Enough Man up next: Mark Donovan of Springfield, Ill. Mark carries the campaign torch that fellow Man Enough Man Ceasar Perez kicked off from our Champaign corner within the council and continues to share. Both believe in the heart of the Girl Scouts mission: to build girls of courage, confidence and character. And both believe with all of their heart that the best way to do this is by helping girls believe in themselves to do anything they so choose.

Our Man Enough To Be A Girl Scout campaign got off the ground last week and is making a solid start in its ascent. Let's keep climbing toward our goal, so girls can reach theirs. When a girl looks up at the indoor climbing wall within our Decatur Urban Program Center, she reaches for the courage to tackle the challenge and with each step finds the confidence to conquer it. By the time she has touched the top of the wall and her feet have returned to the floor, she has added yet another dimension to her character that she can do anything. Thank you for being a part of this wonderful journey.