Girl Scouts – North Carolina Coastal Pines has announced that Taylor Cole of Clayton, is the top seller in Johnston County for the 2019 Girl Scout Cookie Program. Cole sold 1,561 boxes of Girl Scout cookies in the annual cookie program that ended in March. Reagan Parrish of Clayton placed second with 1,436 boxes sold and Sarah Stanley of Clayton placed third with 1,333 boxes sold. The 2019 Cookie Program was held January 12 – March 3, 2019.
Participating in the Girl Scout Cookie Program is a long-held and cherished tradition for girls, with recognition as a top cookie seller a coveted honor. Being named a top seller goes beyond what’s in the box as it highlights a girl’s determination to set and achieve goals, develop business and financial literacy skills, and enhance their entrepreneurial spirit. This recognition also demonstrates a girl’s mastery of the five skills: goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills, and business ethics as she runs her very own cookie business.
“The Girl Scout Cookie Program is about so much more than what is in the box. The girls that participated this year learned valuable life skills, like money management and goal setting, while raising funds to support future leadership endeavors with Girl Scouts,” said GSNCCP Product Sales Director Kelly Griffin. “Each Girl Scout that sold a box of cookies this year became an entrepreneur in the largest girl-led business in the world, and we are excited to celebrate all that they accomplished during the 2019 Girl Scout Cookie Program while recognizing our girl-leaders.”
Girl Scouts – North Carolina Coastal Pines sold over 3 million boxes of cookies with over 11,000 Girl Scouts participating in the 2019 Girl Scout Cookie Program. Approximately 2,100 girls sold more than 400 boxes of cookies each. Additionally, more than 300 girls sold 1,000+ boxes each. Council-wide the average number of boxes sold per girl was 272. Nationally the average number of boxes sold by Girl Scouts is approximately 150. This year, the council exceeded their Operation Cookie Drop goal by collecting donations to send over 108,000 boxes of cookies to the military men and women proudly serving our country and culminating in over a million boxes delivered through this council-wide service project since its inception in 2005.
The Girl Scout Cookie Program helps support girls in achieving the goals they set for program activities, community service projects and philanthropy, and ensures all girls are afforded access to the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. For over 100 years, the Girl Scout Cookie Program has also provided life changing leadership opportunities for every G.I.R.L (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, and Leader).
Joining the Johnston Girl Scouts, the overall council top sellers are Alyssa Judkins, Ruth Lahl, and Madeline Fischer. Judkins of Durham County placed first by selling 12,474 boxes, and Lahl of Cumberland County placed second with 5,139 boxes. Fischer of New Hanover County placed third by selling 4,152 boxes.
“Cookie sales are so important to Girl Scouts. I tell all my customers that selling cookies helps my troop to do fun things like go on trips or have learning experiences together…for example, this year our troop is taking a 12 week Sign Language Class with our cookie money!” said top seller Ruth Lahl. “Cookie sales also help keep our camps open and affordable for all Girl Scouts! We are very lucky to have so many awesome camps in our council. I’d sell cookies to help pay for those camps even if I didn’t earn any prizes.”
Judkins, Lahl, and Fischer will join Chief Executive Officer Lisa Jones in late spring for a celebratory luncheon. Jones will present each girl with a 2019 Girl Scout Cookie Program trophy at the event. Top sellers for local areas will receive a top seller custom patch and their name in next year’s Cookie Gram.
For more information on the Girl Scouts Cookie Program visit www.ncccoastalpines.org.
(A photo of Taylor Cole was not available)