It will be a sorely missed rite of spring.
Normally at this time of year, Smithers can look forward to troops of Girl Guides roaming the town peddling their delicious chocolate and vanilla cookies. Sadly, the Guides were forced to cancel the annual cookie campaign.
That doesn’t mean you can’t get them, though.
The Guides have teamed up across the country with a number of major chains such as Canadian Tire and Save on Foods to distribute the cookies. In Smithers they are available at No Frills and in Houston Buy Low is carrying them.
The campaign is a major fundraiser for the Guides, which helps them provide the programs Girl Guides is famous for, but are currently on haitus because of the response to the coronavirus pandemic.
“With the health and safety of both girl and adult members in mind, at this time we are not able to offer in-person Guiding experiences for girls,” said Girl Guides of Canada Chief Executive Officer Jill Zelmanovits and Robyn McDonald, board chair, in a joint statement. “As a result, we do not expect to generate the same revenue from either membership fees or cookies in the near term. This has very serious implications which have forced us to make critical decisions to reduce expenses to ensure the long-term sustainability of GGC.”
They did say, however, they are attempting to take some of their programming online.
“Don’t worry, we are still here. We are working hard to connect virtually with girls to continue to offer amazing experiences, so each one can thrive and to be everything she wants to be,” the statement said. “Our in-person Guiding model will be back when this is all over – back stronger than ever!”