Two Girl Scouts Ask For Help From Gig Harbor Patch Users

It's easy to politely say "No, thank you" to Girl Scouts who are selling cookies on the way out of the grocery store.

It's a lot harder when you receive an e-mail like the one I received last week from Samantha, a 12-year-old who attends Goodman Middle School and member of Girl Scout Troop No. 45207:

Dear Mr. Brent Champaco,

I know you are very busy managing the Gig Harbor Patch, but I was wondering if you would be willing to run an ad for me and my friend Blythe. We are trying to sell Girl Scout Cookies to fund-raise for us to get to Girl Scout camp and also to help us get money to get books for the Children’s Hospital, so we can go and volunteer to read books to the sick children there. We also want to get the money for yarn so we can knit baby hats, socks and scarves.

I thought this was the coolest thing. I liked it so much, in fact, that I posted Samantha's e-mail on Gig Harbor Patch's Facebook page. Users gave this collective response: Go Samantha!

"I can't wait to donate!," posted one Facebook user.

"I haven't bought from any of the Girl Scouts yet and wasn't really planning on it. But, I would love to get some from this wonderful young lady," another user posted.

The response was so great, in fact, that users wanted me to connect with Samantha and help her admirable cause. I contacted the young scout. She wrote back, sharing all the details of her project and passing some Girl Scout cookie knowledge on to this editor. Obviously excited and grateful, here's what she wrote back:

Okay, so what we are trying to do is we really want to make the children’s lives better when they are sick or have cancer. We are planning on knitting hats, scarves, and boots. We are also trying to get money for books so we can read to the kids and interact with them.

Well, we are selling Girl Scout Cookies there are six different kinds: Tagalongs, which are a shortbread cookie covered peanut butter and then covered in chocolate. Then, there are thin mints, which are a mint cookie covered in chocolate. There are also Samoas, which are a cookie-covered caramel and coconut, and then drizzled in chocolate. Another cookie is the Do-Si-Does, which are two peanut butter cookies with peanut butter in the middle. Then next cookie is the Trefoils, which is just a plain shortbread cookie. And finally, there are Savannah Smiles, which are a lemon cookie covered in powdered sugar.

The proceeds will benefit our troop’s community service projects and will also help us with our hospital project ... One thing I think you should know about me is that I have been a Girl Scout for eight years since kindergarten, and I have always loved cookie sales because it was the time when I could be outgoing and friendly to random strangers. I also loved cookie sales because of the math that is involved with the sales. One thing Blythe wants you to know about her is that she has been a Girl Scout since kindergarten, too, and really enjoys the service projects we do.

Very cool, Samantha and Blythe. Thanks for sharing this with the Gig Harbor Patch community.

The big question is how can someone buy some cookies from Samantha and Blythe? The best way - and don't worry, we've cleared it with their parents - is sending them an e-mail at teamsbcookies@gmail.com.