Girl Scouts of North Carolina Coastal Pines are a finalist in the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC's Step It Up contest.

Jennifer Bartnik, Girl Scout leader, said "You can help the Girl Scouts be the winner of the contest - and receive $75,000 to support Girl Scouts." Some ways the community can help include voting through the Web site and to let others know about the contest.

According to the Million Step March Web site, Make Every Dance Step Count is a fun way for girls, volunteers, family and community members to step up their physical activity - as well as their flexibility, strength and endurance - through learning different kinds of dance.

This fall, the group is planning a year-long series of dance-a-thons, lessons and other group activities guaranteed to get your groove on - and get fit along the way.

Building on our Make Every Step Count program of walking and step-counting to help boost physical activity and build health, this program introduces the girls, volunteers and their family members to a variety of dances as well as the cultural significance behind each of them and bring different parts of the community together as they learn them.

Girl Scouts - North Carolina Coastal Pines, a merger of the Girl Scout Council of Coastal Carolina and Pines of Carolina Girl Scout Council serves more than 32,000 girl members and nearly 10,000 adult members in 41 central and eastern North Carolina counties.

Girl Scouts - N.C. Coastal Pines counties are Beaufort, Bladen, Brunswick, Carteret, Chatham, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Duplin, Durham, Edgecombe, Franklin, Granville, Greene, Halifax, Harnett, Hoke, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lenoir, Martin, Moore, Nash, New Hanover, Northampton, Onslow, Orange, Pamlico, Pender, Person, Pitt, Richmond, Robeson, Sampson, Scotland, Vance, Wake, Warren, Wayne, and Wilson.