Ditch the diet, buy Thin Mints instead

By Derek Paiva
Advertiser staff writer

Any local cookie afficionado worth his or her shortbread knows that whenever these oddball names start popping up in conversation, Hawai'i's 5,000-odd Girl Scouts are again spending their weekends just outside of local supermarkets with everyone's favorite reason to break that diet.

This year's annual Girl Scout Cookie Sale — on now through Feb. 3 — features all of the traditional faves, plus two new selections. All Abouts are shortbread cookies with a fudge-coated bottom, while Ole Oles are petite Russian tea cookies. There are eight varieties in all to choose from.

Girl Scouts Council of Hawai'i director of product sales Maureen Tsukimura said the organization orders about 34,000 cases of cookies a year — at 12 boxes to the case, more than 408,000 boxes of cookies.

"We come very close to selling out almost every year," said Tsukimura. "Many times, we even have to back-order cookies." The top sellers both locally and nationwide are Thin Mints, said Tsukimura.

Last year's Hawai'i cookie sales raised more than $800,000 for Girl Scout programs and for the organization's camps on O'ahu, Maui and the Big Island. Individual troops get 50 cents from the sale of each $3.50 box.

Gain a pound or two and send another Scout to camp this weekend at Foodland, Sack 'n Save, Safeway, Times Supermarkets, Blockbuster Video, Kmart, Wal-Mart and most military stores. For more information on varieties and some cool Girl Scout Cookie facts, visit littlebrowniebakers.com.