It’s going to be an unusual year for the Girl Guides of Canada, but the national organization is making adjustments to its biggest fundraiser to keep things feeling as normal as possible during the pandemic measures.
Through a partnership between Girl Guides of Canada and a number of retailers across the country, this year’s long-awaited spring cookie sale will be a little less door-to-door and a little more online. Instead of Guides making sure that their famous cookies are available to their community, this year in Moose Jaw, the cookies will be available to purchase at Canadian Tire.
“[That’s] typically is not allowed because we like the girls to fundraise themselves, and our cookies have never been available online,” said Melanie Pilloud, Brownie leader for the Moose Jaw Girl Guides.
The classic boxes of cookies will be available to add to any purchase from Canadian Tire here in Moose Jaw, both through the new curbside pickup and online delivery options.
Canadian Tire in Moose Jaw has received a limited supply of chocolate mint cookies, leftover from last fall, and lots of the classic chocolate and vanilla cookies. Girl Guides of Canada will still be receiving 100 per cent of the profits from cookies sold.
“It's pretty wonderful, considering the situation we're in,” said Pilloud. “Girl Guide cookies are our biggest fundraiser for girls and the only one that's approved nationally, so if we don't sell cookies, we don't make money for our units and we don't run them.”
Girl Guides of Canada made the decision to change their annual spring fundraiser because of the pandemic measures, a decision that came down the chain just five days before the usual sale would have begun.
The spring cookie sale will be the only chance to get ahold of the famous cookies until spring of next year. (supplied by Moose Jaw Girl Guides)It’s disappointing that Girl Guides in Moose Jaw won’t be making the rounds through their neighbourhoods this year, said Pilloud, especially since the group has so many Cookie All-Stars in its midst and meetings have been cancelled indefinitely.
“I think the girls are disappointed, but we haven't actually seen them [because] national cancelled all our meetings,” said Pilloud. “And that's the sad part, is we never got a goodbye or any of that.”
Canadian Tire in Moose Jaw has only taken on 200 cases to distribute for now — much less than the usual 600 cases Pilloud usually orders for the fundraiser — but Pilloud will be happy to deliver more to the store if things go well.
And hopefully, things will go well, said Pilloud, as this will be the only chance to get a hold of Girl Guide cookies this year.
Girl Guides of Canada has cancelled their fall sale, featuring the chocolate mint cookies, due to financial concerns and pandemic shutdowns — meaning the spring sale is the Girl Guides’ only chance to do their fundraising in 2020.
“It's just a little sad that we're not out there helping, and to see the girls singing cookie songs with a smile on their face, but it's for the best. It keeps them safe, and I think they know that,” said Pilloud.
To keep up with the Moose Jaw Girl Guides and their cookies, check their Facebook page.
