Girl Scouts leaders say area cookie sales high

Girl Scouts from across Girl Scouts Louisiana East’s 23-parish area sold nearly 1.25 million boxes of cookies during this year’s cookie program, with 200 girls inducted into the Girl Scout Cookie Hall of Fame for selling 500 boxes of cookies or more.

“This year’s sale was a tremendous success, and we congratulate all our Girl Scouts for their hard work and determination in meeting and exceeding the goals they set for themselves,” said Alisha Moore, director of sales at Girl Scouts Louisiana East. “I think the excitement of the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouts and the many activities and trips planned around our centennial played a key factor in the success of this year’s sale.”

In addition to providing the troops their funding for troop activities, trips and service projects, the Girl Scout cookie program teaches girls essential skills such as goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills and business ethics. Girl Scout troops also support local community organizations and nonprofits, such as the Ronald McDonald House in New Orleans, the Bishop Ott Women and Children’s Shelter in Baton Rouge, local firefighters and hospitals, with donations of cookies through the Gift of Caring service project.

Girl Scouts also reached out to military men and women serving overseas, sending cookies through organizations like Operation We Care and Blue Star Mothers of Louisiana, as well as to units where Girl Scouts had family members and friends.

Girl Scouts received individual recognitions such as patches, T-shirts and water bottles, with some girls earning top awards including electronics, cookie dough and a free week at resident camp.

In Ascension Parish, Addie Louviere, of Prairieville, was the top seller with 1,050 boxes sold.

Also inducted into the Cookie Hall of Fame from Ascension Parish were Millie Black, Samantha Trabeaux, Lacey Taylor Bowman, Michelle Frances Stutes, Kimber Schwartz, Evelyn Andrews, Abigail Norris and Julia deGeneres.

Also, Brianna Glover, Madison Ciera Lee, Grace Chustz, Maggie Crawford, Macie Klack, Maci Guillot, Elizabeth Adams, Kiersten Johnson, Meghan Joshua, Madison McCauley, Lindsey Oxford, Isabella Schexnaydre and Ava Surla.

The local council, Girl Scouts Louisiana East, serves girls 5 to 17 in the parishes of Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Washington, West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana.

For more information about Girl Scouts, call the council office in New Orleans at [phone], in Baton Rouge at (225) 927-8946, or visit its website at http://www.gsle.org.