If you are at the Bangor Mall today and see what appears to be lots of Girls Scouts either tired, wired or both, don’t be surprised. They are, or they should be. That’s because they spent the night in the Bangor Mall.

The sleep-over is the Bangor Mall’s contribution to the celebration of the 85th anniversary of Girl Scouting in the United States.

“Our Girl Scout Fun Day starts with an overnight at the mall,” explained Randie Lamson, field assistant for the Abnaki Girl Scout Council.

The Girl Scout sleep-over (they call it a “campout”) includes girls from “from all over the Acadia Council — as far north as Caribou and Mars Hill — to Newport and Pittsfield,” Lamson said.

Mall marketing director Karen Cole helped put this event together, one she described as “unprecedented” for the business.

Cole enlisted the support of several mall merchants who are conducting workshops to help the Scouts complete requirements toward badges.

In all, 42 workshops, ranging from cooking to fashion to computers to sports, are available to the girls who choose to participate in at least three.

Making the mall available to the Scouts was a team effort on the part of mall personnel.

First, general manager Roy Daigle had to give permission. Then Cole had to coordinate the efforts of the merchants and maintenance and security personnel to make the site safe and comfortable for the sleep-over.

Today at 10 a.m., the 275 camping Scouts will be joined by others unable to spend the night because a limit had to be placed on the number who could attend. “We were just overwhelmed by the response,” Lamson said. “We had so many who wanted to come.”

To start the official birthday celebration, at least 325 girls, from age 5 to 18, will take part in a parade around the mall, led by the Easter Bunny.

The birthday party will include singing, reading, poetry, a flag ceremony and wishing the Girl Scouts of America “Happy Birthday” in song.

While they share their birthday cake with the public — one of Jan Campbell’s famous Cakes by Jan — the Scouts will also offer games, crafts and activities to children of all ages who are visiting the mall.

“We’re doing shadow puppetry, jewelry making, and all sorts of things that will be fun for kids,” Lamson said.

Happy Birthday, Girl Scouts. We hope you enjoyed your “campout” inside the Bangor Mall.

If you answer the doorbell the next few days and find a Brewer Middle School pupil standing there, welcome him or her and help that pupil help others.

BMS pupils are out and about raising funds for their Third Superdance for Jerry’s Kids on Friday, March 21, at the school.

Rather than the usual $2.50 or $3 fee to attend a dance, the kids pay $5 to attend and are also asked to raise as much money as they can to help support the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

“Our campaign started Thursday and runs through next Friday,” said Gail Orndorf-Sperry, who is supervising the project with Susan Richard and Marilyn Cyr. The Superdance fund-raiser is sponsored by the Brewer Middle School Wellness Team.

“Kids are nominated for the team by their teachers,” Orndorf-Sperry said. “We receive about 80 nominees and have 30 to 35 who work in and out of the program. They are a very enthusiastic group.”

Orndorf-Sperry said while the adults supervise the program, the pupils actually run it.

“Our first year, we really shocked ourselves and brought in $2,900,” she said. “Last year, it was $3,200. It makes you nervous because you don’t want to focus on that, but the kids are working hard.” Beating the previous year’s amount would make everyone happy.

Superdance is different from a regular Brewer Middle School dance, she explained. “It’s a half-hour longer and open to all students. We go to the Greater Brewer-Bangor community for raffle items, and businesses have been very gracious. Last year we had more than 25, and we already have 20 items this year.” Dancers earn one raffle ticket for each $5 donated to MDA.

“Every 15 to 20 minutes we raffle a prize, which is a big hit for the kids,” she said. “At the end, we announce the amount raised and the winner, who gets two tickets to Sugarloaf/USA.”

In the fall, the team presents its check at WABI-TV during the local portion of the national MDA telethon. “The kids really do pull it off themselves,” Orndorf-Sperry said.

“And this year we’re hoping Tommy Mousseau of Brewer and his dad, Mike, will make an appearance at the dance. Tommy is 4 or 5 now and has visited us at school. He’s the one the kids can really identify with.” Tommy is one of Jerry’s Kids.

So if Tommy’s friends from Brewer Middle School ring your bell in the next few days, dig into your pocket and help them help Tommy and all Jerry’s Kids.

The Standpipe, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402; 990-8288.