Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan announce top cookie sellers in region

DETROIT-Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan (GSSEM) announced Elizabeth Popovich, 11, of Macomb Township, MI as the Top Cookie Seller for the 2014 Cookie Sale. Popovich sold 3,904 boxes of cookies during the annual sale, which ran February 7-March 30, 2014.

“When the council picked the Troops to Troops for the donations, I realized at Cookie Booths that more people were willing to make a donation to send cookies to the Soldiers,” said the 5th grader at Sequoyah Elementary School in Macomb Township. “I would wait until we asked people if they wanted to buy some Girl Scout Cookies, and if they said something like, ‘I'm a diabetic,’ ‘I have some already,’ or ‘I'm on a diet,’ then I’d ask them if they wanted to send a box or two overseas to our Soldiers.  The response was great. Everyone I asked would make a donation.”

The response WAS great. In fact, she found that some businesses would purchase and donate a case or more of cookies. Of the more than 20,000 girls who participated in GSSEM’s sale, she sold the most cookies.

Popovich started Scouting as a Daisy in Kindergarten. “The first two years I mostly did cookie booths and sold to family and friends. It was the third year when I started doing the Cookies for Troops,” she said.

“Elizabeth literally goes to hundreds of businesses every cookie season along with keeping up her obligations for school and Cookie Booths.  In the four years she has concentrated on the Cookies for Troops, she has raised $21,524, or 5381 boxes of cookies for our Troops,” says her father, Dave Popovich. “I think she does a good job representing the Girl Scouts and what the organization stands for.  She is already planning on doing more next year!”

Other top selling Girl Scouts in the GSSEM region are:

·         Hailey Wright, Southgate, 3,534 boxes

·         Gabrielle Jarosz, Clinton Township, 3,040 boxes

·         Amanda Sidaway, Madison Heights, 2,919 boxes

·         Lily Cochenour, Madison Heights, 2,703 boxes

·         Kaitlyn Chavez, Lincoln Park, 2,577 boxes

·         Mackenzie Holiday, Lincoln Park, 2,567 boxes

·         Olivia Golembiewski, Macomb, 2,452 boxes

·         Alexandria Renaud, Dearborn, 2,300 boxes

·         Samantha White, West Bloomfield, 2,214 boxes

·         Heather Gregory, Novi, 2,200 boxes

·         Brittany Jolley, Lincoln Park, 2,139 boxes

·         Mackenna Wardie, Hazel Park, 2,159 boxes

·         Jessica Garmen, Waterford, 2,114 boxes

·         Jaide Holland, Beverly Hills, 2,110 boxes

In addition to proceeds for Girl Scouting activities like camping and programs, girls earn recognitions for their individual selling efforts based on the number of boxes of cookies sold, including a laptop, trip to Michigan’s Adventure, or other recognitions. The Girl Scout cookie program, a $790 million girl-led business, teaches girls five key skills including goal setting, money management, business ethics, people skills, and decision making.

Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan (GSSEM) is the region’s premier leadership organization for girls in grades Kindergarten through 12. GSSEM is the local council chartered by Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) to facilitate the Girl Scouting experience for nearly 40,000 girls and adult members and volunteers in its jurisdiction, which includes Oakland, Macomb, Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair, and Sanilac counties, and parts of Wayne, Livingston and Monroe counties. For more information about GSSEM, visit www.gssem.org.