Lawsuit inspires cookies for troops
By Tammie Maddock

First row: Destiny Prinski and Sydney Sizemore; second row: Ellen Knight, Susan Durden, Susan Ervin, Savanna Haynes, Rachel Fleming, and Greer Stewart; third row: Abby Truitt, Anna Price, Savannah Underwood, Amanda Wood, Ella Anderson, and Elizabeth Anne Matthews; and fourth row: Deborah Durden (leader), Hannah Leonard, and Wendy Anderson (leader)

Nationally syndicated radio talk show host Mike Gallagher recently helped the Congaree Council of the Girl Scouts and Blue Star Families with their efforts to send Girl Scout Cookies to US troops stationed overseas.

Gallagher joined the effort when Robin Price, mother of Anna Holden Price, a member of Brownie troop 115, emailed Gallagher in response to one of his recent shows she heard on WIS Talk Radio 1320. The basis for the show was a frivolous lawsuit case in which a judge awarded $900 in damages to a woman who complained about two young girls leaving cookies on her front door step.

Their gesture of good faith apparently frightened the woman enough to cause her to file for damages, and she won. This infuriated Gallagher and motivated him to respond to the issue by making a positive out of the negative. He launched an effort to send cookies to people who would appreciate a good gesture and that someone turned out to be troops overseas.

When Price heard this, she wondered “Why not send them Girl Scout Cookies?” and immediately contacted the famous talk show host with the idea.

Blue Star Families were already working with the Congaree Council of Girl Scouts to help send one of the most requested tastes of home to soldiers, and Price knew this was a win-win situation waiting to happen.

Gallagher promptly responded to her message, and asked if he could dedicate three days of shows to raising money to help the Congaree Council and Blue Star Families send cookies to the men and women serving our country.

The national three–day effort resulted in over $3,000 in funds forwarded directly to Columbia to buy cookies for soldiers. That added 1,000 boxes to the 5,000 boxes already purchased by Midlands residents for the troops during regular cookie sales by area Girl Scouts and Brownies.

Many girls enhanced the boxes of cookies by writing messages and drawing pictures to remind the troops that folks back home appreciate and support their efforts. Price says her daughter’s troop is glad to have played a part in this wonderful effort, and they learned a lot about their ability to make a difference.