A Coast Guard helicopter lifted boxes of Thin Mints and other Girl Scout cookies from the flight deck of USS Midway in San Diego to take them to military troops around the world, on Saturday.
Approximately 147,000 boxes of cookies are on their way to service men and women stationed in Africa, Iraq, Afghanistan, Japan, and Korea and on board Navy ships in the Persian Gulf, Western Pacific and Indian Ocean.
It is a project called Operation Thin Mint, or “OTM,” which was started by the Girl Scouts, San Diego-Imperial Council nine years ago. Since then, local Girl Scouts have collected donations during cookie sales to send more than 1.6 million cookies to the troops. Along with the cookies, Girl Scouts write notes to the troops, to say thank you for protecting our country and to keep their spirits up.
More than 2,300 San Diego Girl Scouts and their families, friends, and community supporters attended the OTM sendoff celebration. The top cookie sellers were there. They got to fly in on a helicopter. They each sold more than 2,010 boxes.
Congresswoman Susan Davis, San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, Chula Vista Mayor Cheryl Cox, Brigadier General Ronald Bailey, Commanding Officer of the Marine Corp Recruit Depot and “Navy Mayor” Rear Admiral William French were also there to congratulate and thank the Girl Scouts for their excellent work.
“Just one cookie makes a difference,” said Brigadier General Bailey. “Every cookie is a touch of love, a statement to show you care.”
Each cookie counts, and the people in the military get a taste of home, explained Rear Admiral French.
Navy Commander Dora Lockwood said she was a Brownie Girl Scout when she was young. She said she liked going to camp, and learning about life and leadership. She has been on USS Nimitz when the cookies arrived and she said the reaction on the ship was “simply incredible.” She said the men and women especially liked the notes from the girls and posted then on the mess decks, where they eat.
It makes our soldiers feel like they are important, and it tells them that we care for them.
Danielle Dawson is a fifth grade Junior Girl Scout (Troop 1452) and Julia Dawson is a second grade Brownie Girl Scout (Troop 1775).
