MANSFIELD, Ohio – Across the country, Girl Scout Cookie fans can easily find a favorite treat as National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend gets underway, with Girl Scouts selling door to door or at a booth. Locally, Mansfield Mayor Tim Theaker read a proclamation naming Feb. 27 and 28 National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend for the city.
“It’s a big push to let people know we are out and about and have cookies,” said Girl Scouts of Ohio’s Heartland Product Program Operating Manager Jessica Martin. She noted the idea began three years ago with a single day, but developed into a weekend event.
As Theaker read the proclamation at the last Mansfield City Council meeting, Mansfield Girl Scouts were honored for their long-standing dedication to the largest girl-led business in the world “and it’s power to teach girls business and finance for their lives,” read the Mayor.
“Good luck with the cookies,” Theaker said to the girls.
It’s not just about the cookies. “It’s about girl interaction and focusing on their talents,” says Bellville Troop 2131 Leader Deb Altman, whose daughter Samantha is in her fifth year of Girl scouting. “It’s about making them aware and listening to their community’s concerns and what they feel they can help improve upon.”
Airika Freeman’s daughter, LiAnna, has been in Troop 2131 for the past three years. “Selling cookies teaches her about money management and working together toward a goal,” says Freeman. “If you do well as a troop, you get to enjoy some prizes.”
Troops usually annually pick a charity to support, and Troop 2131 has chosen the Ronald McDonald House in honor of Bellville local Grant Reed, a boy fighting a cancerous brain tumor for the second time.
Over 70 percent of the cookie proceeds stays right within the local service units. This goes toward girl programming, community work, and many other girl-led and related activities. “We get a lot of guff for the price,” said Altman, “so it’s important people know how the money is used.” The other 30 percent goes in part toward the national liability insurance the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. must carry for their troops since this is not covered on a local basis.
Not only do cookies provide a tasty treat for those locally, they provide a taste of home for active military personnel overseas.
Martin explained that Operation Salute allows customers to purchase cookies earmarked for delivery overseas. Cookies were also provided for veterans’ hospitals and organizations last year.
Operation Salute has been increasing in popularity, noted Martin. “Last year we had over 21,000 packages of Operation Salute cookies that we sent to different military organizations, which was a significant increase of what we’d had in the past. Thus far this year we have 25,000.”
New this year is a gluten-free variety, Toffee-tastic. However, Martin noted that it was a pilot program and supplies were limited. The cookie was so popular that most are out of stock, though some troops may still have a few boxes to sell.
But gluten-free wasn’t the only big cookie news, noted Martin. “We’re celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Samoa cookie this year. That’s a fun, exciting thing were promoting and telling people.”
Cookies will be sold at such places as Lex Lanes, Wayne’s Market, Hobby Lobby, WalMart, Kroger’s, and Richland Mall.
March 8-15 will have the girls out-and-about selling cookies in their own neighborhoods. Cookie sales end March 22.
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“It’s about making them aware and listening to their community’s concerns and what they feel they can help improve upon,” said Bellville Troop 2131 Leader Deb Altman.
