Auburn Girl Scouts gear up to sell nearly 50,000 boxes

Local cookie connoisseurs can get ready to give a 'Shout-out' and say, 'Thanks-a-lot' to Auburn-area Girl Scouts in the next couple of months. Girl Scout cookie pre-sales began this month and the fun continues through the end of March. Come February, eager Thin Mint lovers and Caramel Delight cravers can check out one of the many site sales around town. Local girl scouts directors say the 49er Service Unit hopes to sell nearly 50,000 boxes of cookies, which local Girl Scouts say will help fund their admission to the Girl Scouts 100th Anniversary Celebration at Cal Expo. 'What can a cookie do?'Kyra Kappos, of Loomis, is a Junior Girl Scout in Troop 113. The 10-year-old said she loves selling cookies. "I love going places and doing fun activities with my troop, but the thing I love most is cookie time," Kyra said. "They are really fun because you get to set goals and you try to reach them and for every 150 boxes you sell you get a little incentive. It's just really great getting to sell cookies to people that really like being sold cookies."To help her service unit make their goal, Kyra said she has set a goal of selling 600 boxes of cookies. Kappos' mother Cami is the 49er Service Unit Cookie Manger this year, which oversees troops in the greater Auburn-area. She said this year's theme is all about celebrating the centennial of the program for girls. "Our goal is to sell 48,808 packages of cookies," Cami Kappos said. "Our theme this year is 'What can a cookie do?' The reason is we are celebrating or 100th Anniversary of Girl Scouts and the cookie we are kind of pushing in the shortbread because it was the first cookie."She said aside from special events like the anniversary, money from cookie sales helps fund Girl Scout programs in all communities. No new cookie hereCheryl Kindice, of Auburn, is a co-leader for Troop 1589. Her troop got pumped up to sell cookies at a rally for Girl Scouts in the area earlier this month. "We had 120 Girl Scouts come. It was kind of like a pep rally," Kindice said. "They were screaming and yelling. They learned about the cookies and got to taste each one."Cookie Drop day is Feb. 15 for the troop. Kindice said that's when cookies will be delivered to Auburn by the pallet. "It's by pallets and pallets and it's so much fun," Kindice said. "My troop, last year, we had a Suburban and a Dodge Caliber. We had those stuffed, all the seats down and boxes meticulously placed in there so every little inch was used — and that's just my troop."There have been reports of a new cookie debuting this year, but Kindice said Northern California won't be selling the new cookie, called a Savannah Smile. According to Girl Scouts, the sugar-dusted, lemon wedge cookie is only available in certain areas. Northern California gets their cookies from ABC Bakers, which doesn't make Savannah Smiles. Old favorites like Thin Mints, Peanut Butter Patties (aka Tagalongs) and Caramel Delights (aka Samoas) will be available. Layla Kindice, 7, of Auburn, said she isn't too disappointed because another lemon-flavored cookie, Lemonades, are her favorite. "I just like the fun of it. We're planning on going to our 100th Anniversary with the money that we get from the cookies," Layla said. Last year Layla sold 550 boxes of cookies. Her secrets to success are hitting the pavement for door-to-door sales, accompanied by a parent, and going to every single site sale. Kindice said the benefits of buying the popular cookies extend beyond satiating a nagging sweet tooth. "Everybody loves Girl Scout Cookies. It's the easiest thing to sell," Kindice said. "It's good for the girls to learn to be outgoing and be able to feel confident and they get independence. They get their self-esteem boosted because they are meeting new people and a sense of accomplishment."Reach Sara Seyydin at saras@goldcountrymedia.com.