John Coffelt, Editor

The exhibit building at the Coffee County Fairgrounds was a busy place Saturday with the smells of Girl Scout Cookies in the air.  About 1 million cookies altogether, Thin Mints, Tagalongs and the usual assortment of confectioneries will soon be at cookie stands throughout the county, 

Truth be told, the cases were sealed, so the only cookie aroma wafting around was on the breath of one of an occasional hard-working helper that may or may not have tested the merchandise.   

Greg Gressel, Co-chair of cookie distribution of the service unit, said that about 40,000-46,000 boxes will be sold on average during cookie season in the county, now through March 5.

Troop 2163 has a cookie truck, a troop-transport van converted during the pandemic to retail Girl Scout Cookies. His “food truck” will be around the area at popup locations announced on social media.

Gressel said after the first week of March they’ll be gone.

Gressel shares the duty of overseeing cookie distribution with Terry Dube.

 All of the cookie booth locations are organized through the pair.

“This is our annual cookie delivery. This is our biggest fundraiser in Girl Scouts,” Regional Executive Tammy Lambert said.

“They bring the cookies here and we divide them up between our 18 troops. (They) take them back to their houses/meeting locations, and then all the girls come get cookies from their troop leaders.”

The shipment that was distributed Saturday was 2,947 cases or 35,364 boxes. Given about 38 cookies are in a box, that’s about 1.3 million cookies. 

“We will be out at Walmart, gas stations — cookie booths for the month of February,” she said.

After the first of March, the cookies will all be gone.

Proceeds from these cookies will buy girls’ badges, fund educational trips and help with community service projects. One year a troop planted 10,000 daffodil bulbs around Tullahoma.

Some of the cookies will be donated to nursing homes, fire halls and police stations to show the girls’ appreciation.

“The girls do a lot of great things with these cookies,” Lambert said.

Those interested in joining Girl Scouts can contact Lambert at (615) 460-0256 or email gsidtn.org. Service Unit 142 that serves all of Coffee County, Manchester, Tullahoma and Moore County has 18 local troops. 

John has been with the Manchester Times since May 2011. John has won Tennessee Press Association awards for Best News Photo and placed in numerous other categories. John is a 1994 graduate of Tullahoma High School, a graduate of Motlow State Community College and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Middle Tennessee State University. He lives in Tullahoma, enjoys painting, dancing and exploring the outdoors.