From Kay Martley, Girl Scouts of Colorado volunteer coordinator for the cookies to the military program (Photos by Colorado Girl Scout volunteer Carol Klein)  

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The annual Hearts Across the Miles Girl Scout Cookie packaging event for the military took place on Saturday, March 15th, at the Colorado National Guard Armory in Aurora. More than 70 volunteers, many of them Girl Scouts and their families, participated in packing the cookies that will be sent to soldiers who are on deployment. These cookies were sold by the Girl Scouts during the annual cookie program and bought by the public knowing the cookies would be sent to soldiers. A cookie from home gives our soldiers solace and confirms that we are all thinking of them. Hearts is a volunteer group of active and retired military, and they raise the funds to cover the cost of shipping. Approximately 6,500 packages of Girl Scout Cookies were donated to this effort this year. These cookies supported 23 deployed units as well as the Veterans’ Administration, local Colorado National Guard units and Buckley Air Force Base. About 45 packed boxes of cookies were held back and will be shipped off in the coming months to additional deployed units.

“It’s obvious this a labor of love for our local community. It’s also obvious that the Girl Scouts are the key to its success,” said Al Gonzalez, President, Hearts Across the Miles.