THE LOOP — Get your Thin Mints while you can: the annual Girl Scout cookie sale ends this week.
But before they're gone for good, Girl Scouts from the Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana council will be selling the last of their treats in the lobbies of several downtown buildings, including the Hancock, Leo Burnett, BMO Harris and Willis Tower.
About 500 girls will be in the Loop Tuesday and Thursday selling eight varieties of cookies: The Savannah Smile, Thank U Berry Munch, Samoas, Thin Mints, Trefoils, Tagalongs, Do-si-does, and Dulce de Leche.
"Girl Scout cookie sales are a core learning program in five different areas," said Maria Wynne, CEO of the Chicago and Northwest Indiana council. "They learn how to set goals, how to work together as a team, they learn money management skills. But they also learn important people skills."
"When you think about a 5-year-old looking an adult in the eye, making a sale, and completing the transaction independently, that's a pretty big accomplishment," Wynne said.
In addition to earning prizes and activities for individual sellers, proceeds from Girl Scout cookie sales will help fund activities and trips for local troops, as well as citywide programming, Wynne said.
One operation funded by cookie sales is Journeyworld, at Halsted Street and Chicago Avenue, which provides supplemental "experiential learning" in science, technology, engineering and math fields.
The Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana Girl Scout council includes more than 84,000 girls ages 5-17 and 24,000 adult members in 245 different communities, spanning six northern Illinois counties and four Indiana counties.
Looking for a way to help while watching your waistline? Wynne said "Gift of Caring" donations will also be accepted to send boxes to troops stationed overseas.
Find the nearest sale site on the Girl Scouts Cookie Locator.
