The Littlest Entrepreneurs

For many people, Girl Scout cookies are like the old Lay’s Potato Chip commercial: it’s impossible to eat just one. If you’re one of those who have regretfully said no to a hopeful little cookie seller because those boxes of delicious goodies are too much of a temptation to have in the house, you now have an option: you can pay for cookies and ask they be donated to an organization that benefits Door County.

Sarah Martin and Anna Knapp are the leaders of the Daisy Troop at Gibraltar School District. The troop’s nine little kindergartners had a goal of selling 11 boxes of cookies each this spring. For their first sales experience, their “territory” was limited to family and friends. No problem. Instead of the hoped-for 99 boxes of cookies, the troop sold more than 1,000. “They are quite the little entrepreneurs,” Martin says.

The total of 1,000-plus boxes included 45 that were purchased specifically as donations to the food pantry at the First Baptist Church of Sister Bay.

Both Martin and Knapp are former teachers, and they looked for teachable moments in the cookie sales project. “The community is so supportive of Girl Scouts, it was important for the girls to know that they could give something back,” Martin says.

On March 27, the troop personally delivered the 45 donated boxes to the food pantry, where Mabel Peterson, its director, took the little girls on a tour of the storeroom, told them how the pantry works and how it helps people in the community.

Other Girl Scouts in Door County have also sold cookies that were donated to benefit the community. Ashley DeGrave, Door County service manager for the Girl Scouts, says the goal for this year was 90 donated boxes, and the nine little kindergartners from Gibraltar provided half that amount. “At their age, that’s huge,” DeGrave said. “Seeing what their effort has accomplished is a great teaching tool that will serve them well in the future.”

Cookie sales officially ended in February, but individuals who would still like to purchase some for their own enjoyment or as donations can email DeGrave at [email protected].