A Sweet Way to Say Thanks: Girl Scouts of Nassau County Send Troops, Local Heroes Over 80,000 Cookie Packages
April 28, 2023
Gift of Caring Program’s Operation Cookie and Hometown Heroes See a Successful 18th Year
GARDEN CITY, NY (APRIL 2023) — Girl Scouts of Nassau County (GSNC), along with DHL Express, recently shipped more than 80,000 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies® to U.S. military personnel stationed both overseas and on Long Island, in addition to local first responders. Each box was donated by community members who purchased extra Girl Scout Cookies as part of Girl Scouts of Nassau County’s 18th annual Operation Cookie/Hometown Heroes campaign. GSNC, including several Girl Scouts from troops throughout Nassau County, were joined by elected officials and volunteers to help pack a portion of the 80,136 boxes into DHL’s truck, for delivery to locations around the world. The annual program offers a sweet taste of home and shows appreciation to U.S. military members and local doctors, nurses, police officers, ambulance workers and firefighters.
“Each year, Girl Scouts selling cookies offer buyers the option to donate Girl Scout Cookies to our military troops overseas and local heroes and each year, the result is awe-inspiring,” said Randell Bynum, CEO of GSNC. “It’s amazing to see how many community members want to send their gratitude to our heroes abroad and at home. We hope the cookies bring them comfort and joy. We extend our gratitude to our partner DHL Express and everyone who purchased a package of Girl Scout Cookies for our Operation Cookie/Hometown Heroes campaign. Without you, this would not be possible.”
In 2005, Girl Scouts of Nassau County began its partnership with DHL and started shipping packages of Girl Scout Cookies overseas. Operation Cookie is a testament to the support community members have for our troops and the program teaches girls that a small action could have a major impact. Since its inception, GSNC and DHL have shipped over 1,000,000 packages to U.S. servicemen and women in places like Kuwait, Bahrain, Poland, Germany, Japan and various military bases across the U.S. and Europe. Deliveries are also made locally to military bases like the Coast Guard stations at Jones Beach, the U.S. Marines base in Garden City and the Midshipmen at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point.
The Hometown Heroes program has a similar impact and recognizes local essential workers and first responders such as doctors, firefighters, and police officers, which is why hospitals, police departments, and a blood bank are part of this year’s roster of Girl Scout Cookies® recipients.
“We are honored to be part of Girl Scouts of Nassau County’s Operation Cookie, which gives soldiers far away from their families a ‘taste of home’ as a thank you for their sacrifices,” said Pawel Zagaja, Senior Director of JFK Gateway, DHL Express. “At DHL, our purpose is to connect people and improve lives, and it’s wonderful to recognize others who are doing just that through this yearly Girl Scouts program. It’s also very special to see the number of boxes donated grow each year, which speaks volumes to the Nassau County community.”
Members of the U.S. military and local first responders will soon be enjoying their favorite Girl Scout Cookies such as Thin Mints, Trefoils, and Tagalongs. To learn more about Operation Cookie and Hometown Heroes, visit www.gsnc.org.
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We Are Girl Scouts: Girl Scouts bring their dreams to life and work together to build a better world. Through programs in Nassau County, across Long Island and from coast to coast, Girl Scouts of all backgrounds and abilities can be unapologetically themselves as they discover their strengths and rise to meet new challenges—whether they want to climb to the top of a tree or the top of their class, lace up their boots for a hike or advocate for climate justice, or make their first best friends. Backed by trusted adult volunteers, mentors, and millions of alumni, Girl Scouts lead the way as they find their voices and make changes that affect the issues most important to them. To join, volunteer, reconnect, or donate, visit girlscouts.org.
DHL is the leading global brand in the logistics industry. Our DHL divisions offer an unrivalled portfolio of logistics services ranging from national and international parcel delivery, e-commerce shipping and fulfillment solutions, international express, road, air and ocean transport to industrial supply chain management. With about 395,000 employees in more than 220 countries and territories worldwide, DHL connects people and businesses securely and reliably, enabling global sustainable trade flows. With specialized solutions for growth markets and industries including technology, life sciences and healthcare, engineering, manufacturing & energy, auto-mobility and retail, DHL is decisively positioned as “The logistics company for the world”.
DHL is part of Deutsche Post DHL Group. The Group generated revenues of more than 94 billion euros in 2022. With sustainable business practices and a commitment to society and the environment, the Group makes a positive contribution to the world. Deutsche Post DHL Group aims to achieve net-zero emissions logistics by 2050.
