Cookies for a good cause: Girl Scouts deliver for overseas troops
By Kristen Kiel/Correspondent
Wed Mar 04, 2009, 04:44 PM EST
Concord - “Look at all these girls! They’re early!” said 66th Air Base Wing Commander Col. David Orr as he enthusiastically surveyed a crowd of about 1,000 Girl Scouts who had arrived to deliver more than 15,000 boxes of cookies at Hanscom Air Force Base last Saturday.
Braving a chilly morning, about 1,000 bright-eyed, cheery Girl Scouts from eastern Massachusetts, including troops from Lincoln, Concord, Bedford and Lexington, dropped off Girl Scout cookies as part of Cookies for a Cause.
More than 15,000 boxes of cookies, along with 2,000 pounds of coffee provided by Dunkin’ Donuts, will be sent in care packages to American military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Girl Scouts began this year’s cookie sale Jan. 5, selling cookies to be donated to troops overseas.
“I received cookies while I was in Iraq,” said Orr, as he crouched down and spoke to a group of Girl Scouts. “I can’t even tell you how much it made my day to receive them. It really did remind me of home.”
Of the thousands of boxes donated, 320 came from the efforts of Concord Girl Scouts. The girls sold the cookies at booths set up at local stores including Crosby’s Marketplace. Three of the 11 girls in Brownie Troop 72688 represented Concord on Saturday.
“The girls had a really good time,” said Kathryn Tedeschi, Troop 72688 leader.
Eastern Massachusetts began participation in the Cookies for a Cause program three years ago with 1,000 boxes of donated cookies from a small group of Girl Scouts. In three years, the program has grown to include 45,000 Girl Scouts from 178 towns and cities.
Last year, Girl Scouts sent 12,000 boxes of cookies to troops overseas.
“Everyone who receives cookies really appreciates them,” said Ruth Bramson, the chief executive officer of the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts. “The men and women stationed overseas especially love receiving the cookies.”
In addition to donating the cookies, the Girl Scouts spoke with airmen who served overseas and wrote cards that will be sent with the care packages.
When asked what her favorite part was, Julia Adrian, a Brownie from Troop 74858 of Medfield, said, “making the cards.”
“They can’t see their families while overseas, so it’s a nice way to show them people care about their work and are thinking about them,” she said.
“I really enjoyed bringing the cookies,” said Olivia Bullock, 7, a Brownie from Reading Troop 1279. “The cookies remind the soldiers of home.”
Troop leader Samantha Bullock agreed.
“The soldiers work to keep us safe, so donating the cookies is a great way to show them we care and appreciate their hard work,” she said.
During the closing presentation, Orr thanked the girls for their hard work and generous donations.
“I wish everybody was here to see what I’m seeing right now,” Orr said. “I also wish I could show you the faces of the servicemen when they receive the cookies. They may be tough people, but all their faces are cheery when they see the cookies.”
Courtesy of The Concord Journal, via wickedlocal.com
