-IT'S COOKIE TIME-
By Alyssa Brinza
With cookie presales already over for the year, Girl Scouts across the country are preparing orders and getting ready to deliver them to hungry patrons. They’re also prepping for cookie table sales throughout their hometowns.
Girl Scout Demi Schmitt, 9, a member of Montour Elementary School's Troop 38011, goes above and beyond during sale and delivery season satisfying not only her buyers but their furry friends, as well.
A resident of Kennedy Township, Demi has been a Girl Scout for three years and is currently at the Brownie level, reaching her sales goal with the help of her mom, Dana Schmitt’s Facebook page.
The scout makes entertaining videos for her mother’s followers which include a newscast straight from cookie headquarters to promote sales. These videos are inspired by a virtual cookie rally Demi attended during the pandemic. This is when the Girl Scout organization gets the girls excited for the upcoming season and shares sales ideas with them.
“This method has been successful for her ever since,” said Schmitt.
With the help of these videos, Demi has beaten her sales goal three years in a row. In that time, she sold approximately 2,470 boxes. Beating these goals leads to fun prizes for the third grader. When asked which prize Demi was aiming for during this year's sale she quickly responded “the ukulele.”
However, that is not all that these sales benefit from. This year troop sales will benefit local nursing homes, paramedic first responders, and the Meals on Wheels program. Where cookie donations are made is decided on by the girls in her troop. Troop Leaders Krista Johnston, Carrie DePetro, and Schmitt bring ideas to the girls and asks them to vote on what they are interested in by a show of hands.
There is a lot more to Girl Scouting than just cookie sales, said Schmitt. The young girls have adventures, such as ice skating and camping, but they also help the community by participating in trash clean-ups and by making donations to organizations in need.
“Demi has gained confidence” and other life skills such as the “importance of goal setting, forming friendships, and the meaning of being a good person by actually helping various organizations,” said Schmitt about her daughter’s experiences in scouting.
Demi’s favorite parts of being a Brownie are the friends she has made along the way and the fun she has with her troop. (Run-ins with large spiders while camping notwithstanding.)
Schmitt said that Demi is hard at work at Girl Scouts, especially during cookie season. Demi helps her mom count the money, update the sales list, deliver the cookies, and direct and star in the promotional videos.
A few years ago when Demi, an animal lover, started selling cookies and was blown away by the amount of support her videos had received, she exclaimed to her mom “we have to do something nice for them.” She also began thinking that “it was a shame that the people got to eat good treats and the animals didn’t.”
Finally, she had her eureka moment: “dog treats.”
She would bag and deliver animal treats along with the cookies for her customers with furry friends.
The treats are donated by Schmitt and bagged by Demi to then be delivered and enjoyed by her customers' pets. It started as dog treats but then grew into cat treats as well.
“Our hands smelled like tuna for two weeks,” said Demi.
Need a Girl Scout cookie fix?
Although Girl Scout cookie presales have ended for the year, you did not miss your chance to purchase a box or three of the treats.
On Saturday, March 4 from noon to 4 p.m. Kennedy resident Demi Schmitt, 9, and members of her Brownie troop will be stationed at Cookie Cookie Ice Cream, 1815 McKees Rocks Road, Kennedy Center. The young entrepreneurs will not only have cookie table sales but special Girl Scout cookie ice creams will be available inside. Cost is $5 a box.
The 2023 cookie offerings include longtime favorites and a new flavor:
Adventurefuls
Do-si-dos
Girl Scout S'mores
Lemon-ups
Samoas
Tagalongs
Thin Mints
Toffee-tastic (gluten-free)
Trefoils
Brand-new for 2023: Raspberry Rally
Check out girlscouts.org to search for other cookie booth sites in the area throughout the month of March.