Cookies for camping: Girl Scouts set up shop on Main Street

Selling several sweet snacks while bundled up in sweaters and scarves, girl scouts were out in the cold aiming to hit their cookie quota.

On Saturday, Jan. 25 outside of the Riverside Cafe on Main Street, members of girl scout troop 64,968 set up shop selling thin mints, caramel delights, peanut butter patties and many other different kinds of girl scout cookies.

Cookie season for the scouts runs from right after Thanksgiving to mid March and according to troop 64,968 leader Sara Phillips, the girls' cookie sales are looking good so far.

"As a troop they have sold around 860 and after this booth today, it'll probably put them up around 900," said Philips.

She added the girls sold around 1200 boxes last cookie season and are on pace to sell between 1800 and 2000 boxes this season.

Each year, the scouts set individual goals as well as a troop goal. This year the troop goal is to raise enough money to go camping in the summer time.

Ainslee Manduca, 9 and Isabella, 10, are troop 64,968 members and have been in girl scouts for four and two years respectively.

They both said their favorite parts of being in the girl scouts is making friends and selling cookies and they are hopeful they can go camping.

"I want to go because it's fun," said Isabella.

"I like to make smores," said Manduca.

While selling cookies is a fundraiser for the girl scouts, Phillips said the more important reason they do this every year is to get the girls out in the community and teach the girls a number of life lessons.

"It teaches them basic skills like counting money and sales pitches," said Phillips. "It also teaches them basic people skills and etiquette skills."