By Joe Bachman

Girl Scout Troop 6089 aren’t just your ordinary girl scouts.

The 28-girl 5k – 5th grade scouts will take part in the long-standing tradition of welcoming the first baby girl born in the week of March 12-18, (Girl Scout Week) but they also give back to their school and the military.

During their 2017 campaign, Troop 6089 have nearly doubled their goal by setting aside nearly 300 boxes of girl scout cookies for donation to military service members and veterans. The troop also used funds made from their 2016 campaign to donate two benches to the rear playground at Woodside Elementary.

To top that off they also donated $300 to order programs from Lightbox for Woodside Elementary, an interactive multimedia learning experience that incorporates audio/visual activities.

“I went to a PTO meeting, and I asked Mr. Mann [Woodside teacher] if we could donate anything to the school,” said 8-year-old Junior Girl Scout Elisabeth Wettern. “He gave us three ideas, and one of the ideas was the e-books.”

Girl scouts not only learn the value of customer service and money management skills from selling cookies, but important social skills, as well.

“You learn to treat others how you want to be treated.” said Girl Scout Brownie Maddie Boore.

It’s a lifetime lesson practiced early through their donation to military members.

“Just the time that somebody takes to say thank you is always appreciated,” said Troop Leader and military veteran Camerron Wettern. “Last year I got a picture from a buddy deployed in Jordan who got cookies, and they all love it.”

The cookies will be sent to various outposts, from ships set to deploy to Afghanistan to bases all around the world. Other military families will use the girls’ donations to send cookies to loved ones overseas as well.

Cookie season ends March 19, so make sure to satisfy your sweet-tooth, as well as help your local scouts bring joy to the lives of others.