Local scouts gear up to sell cookies
By Angela Greiner Community Reporter

PHOTOS/ANGELA GREINER Marlborough and Southborough scouts sampling their favorite cookies are (front, l to r) Mary Bovaconti, Dana Acosta, Samantha Bleck, (back, l to r) Katie Palmer, Susan Rambridge, Olivia Michaels, Meghan McCabe and Ava Shaw.

Region - Dressed in green and brown, more than 70 Brownies and Junior Girl Scouts from the Metrowest area gathered at Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School in Marlborough Jan. 12 to participate in a cookie rally.

The event, which was hosted by the Patriots Trail Girl Scout Council, was an opportunity to get the girls prepared for the annual Girl Scout cookie fund-raising event. The rally featured activities, including team-building parachute games, physical fitness, safety training, goal-oriented arts and crafts projects, and "cookie Twister."

Joanne Lenahan, who is responsible for program management development for the council, helped the girls build model hovercrafts.

"This activity is aimed at teaching the girls how to set obtainable goals," Lenahan said. "They need to decide how far their hovercraft can go and, if it does not, ask why."

Girl Scout Catherine Fisher, a Hudson first-grader, practices the hula hoop before sampling some cookies.

Third-grade Marlborough student Natalia Dorogi was last year's top seller, with more than 500 boxes sold.

"Selling cookies is my favorite part of Girl Scouts," she said.

Natalia's mother, Irena Hentea, said she learned a lot from Natalia about setting goals and obtaining them.

"I thought selling 100 boxes was good and Natalia just said, 'Let's try selling 50 more,' and every time we reached a goal she would want to sell more," Hentea said. "And, yes, Natalia does plan to exceed her last year's sales."

Volunteer Carol Harris said that the cookie sale is one of the more significant fundraising activities for the troops and the regional council.

Product Sales Coordinator Kace Wilson said this year each box will cost $4, of which the troop will receive 60 cents. Another 7 cents goes into an account for the girls to use at Girl Scout camp; the regional council also receives an additional percentage of the total to fund council programs, camp facilities and $150,000 in camping scholarships each year.

Last year's top cookie seller from Marlborough, Natalia Dorogi, warms up for this year's cookie sale with a round of "cookie Twister." Natalia sold more than 500 boxes last year and looks forward to topping that this year.

Several of the troops from Marlborough, Hudson and Southborough use the money from the cookie sale to host various community service projects. One particular project that both Marlborough and Southborough girls are participating in is sending cookies to U.S. troops serving overseas.

In order to ship in late February, all orders must be in by Monday Jan. 28.