Local Girl Scouts participate in Operation Cookie Drop
By Dina Harding
Special to The Star-Herald
PRESQUE ISLE — Presque Isle Girl Scout Troop 1137, led by Dina Harding, Roxanne Poole, Courtney Lovely and Julie Knight, recently participated in a campaign to secure Girl Scout cookie donations from family, friends and members of the community in order to ship cookies to U.S. military troops stationed overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as U.S. service personnel who are injured and recovering in Germany, and the veterans at the Great Lakes Naval Hospital.
Photo courtesy of Dina Harding
PRESQUE ISLE Daisy and Brownie Girl Scout Troop 1137 recently participated in Operation Cookie Drop, securing Girl Scout cookie donations from family, friends and members of the surrounding Presque Isle area communities in order to ship cookies to U.S. military troops stationed overseas. Troop 1137 Girl Scouts are, from left, front row: Daisies Amelia Dyer, Jayden Lovely, Madyson Wark and Allison Morton. Back row: Brownie Jeanna Knight, Daisy Eva Callioras, and Brownies Lexee McKinney, Josalyn Wark and Courtney Harding. Absent when the photo was taken, but represented by a portrait, is Brownie Girl Scout Caroline Brown.
The eight varieties of Girl Scout cookies in the 2011 campaign included Thanks-A-Lot, Caramel deLites, Peanut Butter Patties, Lemonades, Thin Mints, Shortbread, Peanut Butter Sandwich, and the newest Girl Scout cookie brand, Shout Outs! After all of the local customers’ cookies were delivered, the accumulated boxes of donated Girl Scout cookies were combined and packaged personally by the girls at a recent Troop meeting into several larger cases for Operation Cookie Drop to manage.
Prior to being shipped overseas, the cookies will be divided up into smaller, more individualized care packages, by Operation Cookie Drop, a mission sponsored by the Yellow Ribbon Support Group of Illinois, which was founded and is led by Pat McCoy, along with numerous other dedicated volunteers. Included with the cookies being sent overseas are printed pictures of the Girl Scouts of Troop 1137, marked on the back with a ‘Thank You!’ note, which is intended to help uplift the spirits, provide caring support with smiling faces, as well as show our respect in honoring the courageous work of our military personnel who receive them. These Girl Scout cookies truly help bring a touch of home to the brave men and women serving overseas, as most of them grew up enjoying Girl Scout cookies every year, and they feel very appreciative in being remembered in this way.
Additional pictures of U.S. military troops actually opening some of their gift packages received, along with other information on Operation Cookie Drop and the instrumental work that the Yellow Ribbon Support Group implements on behalf of our military troops, can be found by visiting the website, www.yellowribbonsg.org.
Presque Isle Girl Scout Troop 1137 and its leaders would like to express their sincerest gratitude and appreciation to all of the parent volunteers, families, friends and community members who helped make our 2011 cookie sale a huge success.
The primary focus of Girl Scouts is to build courage, character and confidence in girls. For anyone interested in joining Girl Scouts, please call toll-free 1-88-922-GSME (4763) or visit www.girlscoutsofmaine.org for more information.
