Girl Scout Cookies Available for the Big Game

Posted: Feb 2, 2012 at 3:10 PM [Feb 2, 2012]

If Girl Scouts in the Ann Arbor region have their way, Sunday’s Super Bowl game in Indianapolis won’t be the only place to see records broken.

For the first time in the 95-year history of Girl Scout cookie sales, 30 troops in Washtenaw, Livingston and Western Wayne Counties, part of the Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan Council, will be selling cookies on Friday, Saturday  and Sunday to cash in on the Super Bowl spending frenzy.   Cookie booths will be strategically located near grocery stores and heavily-trafficked areas such as the “Diag” on the University of Michigan’s campus, said Deb Adams, a leader for Girl Scout Troops 40343 and 40588 located in Milan.

Girl Scouts will be at Kroger stores in Milan and Ypsilanti, which will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday ,and a Mongolian Barbeque restaurant in downtown Ann Arbor, in addition to the Diag, from 6-9 p.m. on Friday and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Girl Scout troops will also be stationed at Busch’s on Green Road in Ann Arbor, at Hungry Howie’s Pizza in Howell and at Kroger stores in Ann Arbor, Brighton, Canton, Howell and Pinckney.

Last year the 30 girls in Adams’ two troops sold a combined total of 4,100 boxes.

“We’re looking to double that number,” she said.”Our girls always look forward to cookie sales and really want to reach their goal this year.”

Although many of the girls’ customers know where to find them, a cookie locator app will help those who don’t.  The app may be downloaded from the Apple App Store or the Android Marketplace or accessed from the web at www.cookielocator.littlebrownie.com.  Smartphone users can download the app by calling **472665437 and Blackberry users can access the mobile site at http://mobile.littlebrownie.com.

“This will be very helpful for people who don’t know where the cookie booths are,” Adams said.  “I’m always surprised when people tell me they don’t have anyone to buy cookies from.”

Amanda Kremer, program product specialist at GSHOM’s Ann Arbor Regional Center, said by entering a zip code people will be able to find the registered cookie booth nearest them along with hours and locations.  In addition, she said some of the cookie booths will be accepting payments by credit card under a pilot program which includes GSHOM.

Jan Barker, CEO of Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan, said the availability of the cookie locator app and the opportunity to accept payments by credit card takes cookie sales to a whole new level for the girls.

“At Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan, our girls are embracing technology while maintaining the values that have served us for 100 years,” Barker said.  “Customers can now find Girl Scout cookie locations in less time and have a new option to pay for their cookies.  These are improvements to the cookie program which will teach our girls the importance of business, leadership and technology skills.”

Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan invites all girls to become Girl Scouts. To learn more, visit www.gshom.org or call 1-800-497-2688 (49-SCOUT).