Cookie sales fund local activities
It is Girl Scout cookie season in Madison County.
Pre-order sells began on Dec. 31, and booth sales will begin on Feb. 11.
The Girl Scouts feel cookies accomplish something greater than just being delicious.
“The girls learn so much,” said Hilary Perry, director of communications and advocacy.
Troops of girls from age five to 17 sell the eight varieties of cookies.
For more than 70 years proceeds generated from cookie sales have funded activities and service projects within the troop and local council, according to the Girl Scout Organization.
Each troop sets individual sales goals that they feel are attainable.
“We encourage troops to be girl led,” Perry said.
Troop 10389 of New Market set a goal of 2,000 packages, and sold over 4,000 packages.
They used the proceeds to make blankets for Project Linus, an organization that provides blankets to ill children.
They also painted ceiling tiles for the Huntsville Hospital Pediatric Wing, and funded a trip to Chattanooga.“It’s about financial literacy, it’s not just a fundraiser,” Perry
said.
According to the Girl Scouts of North Alabama, girls develop key skills such as: goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills and business ethics
through the cookie selling program.
“The Cookie Program allows girls to put into practice all of the program elements and life skills they learn in Girl Scouting,” said Rhonda Lambert, Chief Operations Officer.
“It helps them use math skills to manage money. By encouraging the girls to bank their money to save for trips or other incentives, they are taught the importance of
saving and decision making.”
Delivery of pre-ordered sales will begin on Feb. 9, and booths will set up at local retail locations beginning on Feb. 11. Local locations can be found by entering a zip code
in the cookie locator on the Girl Scout website, www.girlsscoutsnca.org.
The Girl Scouts caution that it is important to purchase cookies from someone affiliated with the Girl Scout organization to ensure freshness and safety.