The pandemic won’t stand in the way of Girl Scout cookie sales

MASON CITY — Iowans who haven’t blown their New Year’s resolutions about weight loss yet have a new temptation, as Girl Scout Cookie season has arrived.

Samie Swinton, spokeswoman for the Girls Scouts of Greater Iowa, says sales of the tasty treats teach the girls valuable lessons and they won’t be deterred by the pandemic. “We know life is different these days and the cookie program is still something that is so valuable for our Girl Scouts to participate in and learn all the business skills that they do,” Swinton says. “There are different options for them to continue to sell this year but stay safe while doing it.”

To buy cookies, Iowans shouldn’t wait for a youngster to ring their doorbell this year. They can simply go to the website — www.girlscoutsiowa.org/findcookies — enter their ZIP code and place their order online. “Girls can drop it off right at their doorstep and have a contact-free option,” Swinton says. “It can also just get shipped to their doorstep. We have virtual booths where troops can participate together and have their link out all week long and then do a drive-through pickup the day of the booth sale.”

Swinton says all of the money raised by cookie sales remains in Iowa. “One-hundred percent of the proceeds stay local, right here in our council,” she says. “It helps support the troops to do all of the different activities that they want to do, service projects that directly help their community, as well as help fund our mission of volunteer training and the camps that they go to.”

Online orders must be placed by March 28th. There are nine varieties of cookies this year. The new flavor is called “Toast-Yay!” and is inspired by the flavors of French toast.