Girl Scouts will be at your area retail locations starting Friday

If you haven't been able to get your hands on America's favorite treat, you still have a few weeks left to get your Girl Scout Cookie fix for the year. From Feb. 15 to March 9, Girl Scouts will conduct Booth Sales outside of hundreds of grocery stores and retail locations across the state with cookies in-hand to sell directly to customers.

"Unlike our traditional cookie orders, where girls take orders and deliver cookies later, customers who buy boxes during Booth Sales outside of grocery stores and other select retail outlets in your neighborhood will receive their cookies right away," said Virginia L. Mason, president and CEO of Girl Scouts of Colorado.

To find a list of Booth Sale locations, log on to the Girl Scouts of Colorado Web site at www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org. Customers can also call 303-778-8774 or 1-866-827-7033, or go to the council Web site to get more information about ordering cookies. Girl Scouts also welcome local businesses' assistance during the cookie activity. Local girls are available to come to businesses to sell to employees and businesses can purchase cookies from Girl Scouts for employee appreciation efforts, among other things. Contact Girl Scouts for more information.

Customers who have stocked their freezers with Girl Scout Cookies already or who pass on the tempting treats can still support Girl Scouts and the non-profit organizations, armed forces and uniformed personnel who are so important to our community. Extra boxes of cookies can be purchased by customers during Booth Sales to donate through Girl Scouts' Gift of Caring/Hometown Heroes Program. Girl Scouts not only donate the cookies, but learn about the invaluable work of these organizations by taking tours, learning about careers and helping with community service projects. Last year's program across the state netted nearly 100,000 boxes for hundreds of community organizations. All Gift of Caring/Hometown Heroes purchases are tax deductible.

New this year are the Sugar Free Chocolate Chips and Lemon Chalet Cremes™. All cookie varieties also have zero grams of trans fat per serving. Other delicious cookie varieties include: All Abouts, Do-Si-Dos®, Samoas®, Tagalongs, Thin Mints and Trefoils. All Girl Scout Cookies cost $3.25 per box, and all money raised stays local to support Girl Scouts of Colorado, with a portion of the money per box going directly to the Girl Scout troop.

The Girl Scout Cookie Activity has grown into a leading business and economic literacy activity run by and for girls ages 6 to 18. By giving girls the opportunity to discover their own skills, connect through teamwork and take action, the Girl Scout Cookie Activity has helped make Girl Scouting the premier leadership development experience for girls.

"The Girl Scout Cookie Activity is a valuable part of the Girl Scout experience," said Mason. "Many businesswomen in our community credit the skills that have made them successful in business to what they learned through their participation in Girl Scouting."

Through the Girl Scout Cookie Activity, girls learn what it is like to run their own businesses. They manage inventory, set goals, learn money management and develop marketing skills. And once girls meet their goals, they often decide to spend their cookie proceeds on service projects and exciting trips.

The Girl Scout Cookie Activity is one of the few youth-oriented programs in the country providing its participants the ability to decide how to direct the proceeds generated. In Colorado last year, troops earned $2 million for troop activities. Proceeds from the cookie activity also go to support programs for girls and training for volunteers across the council.

Girl Scouts of Colorado is where girls throughout the state gain courage, confidence and character alongside a group of girls who will be their friends for life. It's a safe place for girls to explore their world, develop an understanding and empathy for others and take action to make the world a better place. Girls are guided by committed, caring adults who make learning fun. No other activity helps each girl achieve her personal leadership pathway like Girl Scouting. Girl Scouts has been the nation's leading expert on girls for nearly 100 years. For more information or to volunteer, visit us at www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org or call your local service center at 303-778-8774 or 1-866-827-7033.