Fountain Hills Girl Scouts wrapped up their 2013 cookie sale with a reported 15,989 boxes sold. The coveted Thin Mint cookie continued to be the number one requested cookie, just inching out the delicious caramel coconut Samoas.

Cost breakdown per box is: $2.17, which goes to the Arizona Cactus Pine Council to support Arizona Girl Scout camps, programs, events and scholarships. Another 93 cents goes to the cost of the cookies, with 75 cents going directly to the troops and 15 cents paying for the cookie incentives the girls receive for different levels of sales.

“Selling Girl Scout cookies provides girls opportunities to experience setting goals, developing teamwork and listening skills in a fun, protected environment,” said neighborhood cookie manager Marissa Watson.

“Young girls also learn proper etiquette for good salesmanship, successful marketing tools and experience growth in their leadership skills.”

Congratulations go out to the three top-selling Girl Scout troops in Fountain Hills. Brownie troop #2665, with troop cookie mom, Marcie Belt, sold 2,189 for first place. Junior troop #2664, troop cookie mom, Dawn McKeever, took second place by selling 1,800. And Junior troop #1059, cookie mom, Courtney Phillips, earned third place by selling 1,722 boxes of cookies.

Top selling individual Girl Scouts in Fountain Hills were Elizabeth Phillips from Junior troop #1059, selling 512 boxes; Liberty Fontaine from Daisy troop #2011, who sold 472 boxes; and Aysha Rasoon, also from troop #2011, who sold 441 boxes of cookies.

Each of the Girl Scout winners wishes to thank their parents and troop cookie moms for chaperoning them at cookie booths and helping them deliver their cookie orders to neighbors and friends.

In support of Arizona Cactus Pine Council’s “Gift of Caring” program, Fountain Hills Girl Scout neighborhood donated 251 boxes of cookies to St. Mary’s Food Bank, the Arizona National Guard and USO Arizona.

Additional troop “Gift of Caring” donations were collected to support each troop’s chosen charity organizations such as Extended Hands Food Bank and cookies for the military men overseas.

Also, special thanks go to Bashas’, Frys, and Safeway for allowing Girl Scouts a safe place to set up cookie booths in front of their stores.

“Door-to-door sales have become unpopular with parents due to safety issues; setting up cookie booths is an extremely important part in the success of our cookie sales,” said Watson.

“Fountain Hills Girl Scouts would like to thank everyone, from family, friends, teachers, clubs and business, who kept buying cookies, even when their freezers were full or their diets said they shouldn’t have anymore.

“We are fortunate to live in a wonderful community that supports our youth programs and fund raisers.”