More than three dozen Girl Scouts with the Sierra Nevada Council not only raised money for their organization this cookie-selling season, they also sold 2,500 boxes of cookies to send to Nevada guardsmen and active duty troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
On Monday, P.J. Degross, with help from Army Guard Maj. Trish Svare and public information officer Sgt. 1st Class Erick Studenicka, lugged 20 packages, containing a total of 1,600 boxes of cookies, into the Roop Street post office. A portion of the shipping costs were paid for with $500 also raised through donations by the Girl Scouts.
"The shipping alone is $1,000," said Studenicka. "That's a pretty amazing display."
Degross, founder of Web of Support, a soldier-adoption program that provides service members serving in war zones with care packages, said this year's cookie donations well exceeded last year's.
"I only sent about 600 boxes last year," she said.
Degross wasn't certain what had changed between last year and this, but she said she was touched by the dedication of the little girls who stood outside retail stores hawking their wares.
She said the girls were such good salespeople, that often buyers who didn't eat the cookies would buy a box to send to the troops.
To show her appreciation for their hard work, Degross is hosting a pizza and cupcake thank you party Saturday for the 36 Girls Scouts from Carson City, Minden, Gardnerville and Lake Tahoe.
"They just stepped up to the plate," she said.
For more information or to volunteer, visit webofsupport.com