Edwardsville Girl Scouts Camp to Open New Cabins and Trail with "Cocktails at Camp" Event

EDWARDSVILLE - The Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois will host their annual “Cocktails at Camp” event to promote their programs at Camp Torqua.

From 4:30–6:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 8, 2025, community members age 21 and older are invited to Camp Torqua in Edwardsville for snacks, drinks and conversation. The Edwardsville/Glen Carbon Chamber of Commerce will also sponsor a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 5 p.m. to unveil the camp’s new cabins and paved trail.

“It’s just going to be a fun little get-together at camp,” said Tricia Higgins, Director of Marketing and Communications. “This is an event for people ages 21 and over to learn more about what's going on with Girl Scouts, about Camp Torqua, and ways that they can support our organization. It’s always a fun evening. It is very relaxed and casual, and people can experience camp who may not know that Camp Torqua was out there.”

The event is free, though Higgins asks people to register online. Attendees can enjoy charcuterie, hayrides, s’mores, trail tours and more.

The new unit, called The Pines, consists of four cabins and a shelter area. Higgins explained that The Pines and the paved trail were made possible through funds raised at previous “Cocktails at Camp” events. She noted these additions will make it possible for more kids to attend Girl Scouts camps this summer.

“We always say we want Girl Scouting to be accessible to all girls, and that means girls of varying abilities, income is not a factor, where they live, their background, all that,” she said. “We want everyone to experience camp. Having these paved trails out there, it allows more girls the opportunity to experience camp and to visit those trails and get more of an in-depth look at camp beyond our cabins.”

In addition to celebrating Camp Torqua’s new cabins and trail, the “Cocktails at Camp” event aims to foster excitement about the upcoming camp season while informing people about the Girl Scouts mission. Higgins said the Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois organization wants to “build girls of courage, confidence and character,” and their camps are one way to do this.

She noted that people can support the Girl Scouts at the “Cocktails at Camp” event and learn more about how the organization supports kids’ growth. She hopes the event allows people to see how these experiences at camp can develop young girls into “great citizens in society.”

“Camp has always been a very integral part of the Girl Scout organization, but there’s so much work behind-the-scenes that goes into providing those camp opportunities for girls,” Higgins added. “We ensure that any girl who wants to participate in Girl Scouting has the opportunity to do so. No girl is ever turned away from Girl Scouting due to her family’s ability to pay. [We’re] giving the community opportunities to support our mission and our organization to ensure that we are able to continue to provide Girl Scouting to any girl in Southern Illinois who wants to be a part of the organization.”

For more information about the Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois, including how to support them, visit their official website at GSofSI.org. To register for the “Cocktails at Camp” event, click here. For more information about the upcoming Girl Scouts summer camps at Camp Torqua, visit the official camp webpage.

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