By Amy Vitale, Product Sales Manager

Girl Scouts – NC Coastal Pines is in our ninth year of Operation Cookie Drop, a program within our annual Cookie Sale where Girl Scouts have the opportunity to collect donations that are used to purchase Girl Scout cookies for our military men and women serving in the US and abroad. We continually hear that the cookies are a welcome taste of home especially for those stationed thousands of miles away.

In our first year, we collected enough donations to purchase 45,000 boxes. We have more than doubled that total this year with 95,952 boxes.  As we go into the 2014 Cookie Sale, we will have shipped over 600,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies to military personnel.

Now you may be wondering, where do all those yummy cookies go and how do they get there? In May, almost 100,000 boxes will be delivered to five locations in North Carolina.  These cookies will leave warehouses and travel to the delivery locations by tractor trailer… yes, that’s a lot of cookies!  From there, the cookies are shipped by military support units to soldiers overseas.

Cookies will be delivered to two US Marine installations – Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville and Cherry Point in Havelock, US Army base Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, NCPacks4Patriots in Ayden, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro, and the USO at RDU airport.

Our military soldiers love to receive yummy cookies that remind them of home. Our customers have an opportunity to support both the Girl Scouts and our US military with one purchase. And what do Girl Scout troops receive from the Operation Cookie Drop program? Actually quite a lot!

Every girl who receives enough donations to purchase 15 boxes of cookies receives an awesome Operation Cookie Drop patch. Troops receive proceeds from these boxes of cookies just like a box of cookies purchased to take home. And girls get the opportunity to use the 5 Skills by setting a goal for Operation Cookie Drop donations and all while supporting the community.

Operation Cookie Drop is a win-win for everyone! Can we count on your support next year?