From wagons rolling door to door to decorated booths outside supermarkets, Island Park and Long Beach Girl Scouts are once again turning cookie season into a lesson in leadership, community service and perseverance.
For Elizabeth Ruderman, a 9-year-old third-grader at Francis X. Hegarty School in Island Park and a member of Island Park Troop 2005, selling cookies is about more than reaching a goal — it’s about connection.
“I wanted to be a Girl Scout to see the smile on people’s faces when they got a box of Girl Scout cookies,” Elizabeth said.
Now in her fourth year as a Girl Scout, Elizabeth has already sold about 100 boxes this season and is aiming high, with a goal of reaching 1,000 by the end of the selling season in March. Her favorite method is old-fashioned door-to-door sales, a tradition she and her family began after realizing many neighbors — particularly older residents — have limited access to cookie booths.
“We pack up her wagon and go to the houses we would normally trick-or-treat at,” said Amanda Ruderman, Elizabeth’s mom. “Some neighbors were so happy. They said it was hard for them to buy cookies any other way, and that made it special.”
Elizabeth said being a Girl Scout has impacted various aspects of her life.
“It helps me a lot with my math, counting money and I get to meet and see a lot of different people,” she said.
For older Girl Scouts like Cathy McGuire, a 17-year-old Long Beach High School senior, cookie season represents years of experience and long-term goals. McGuire is a member of Troop 2356, an Ambassador-level troop, and is completing her 13th and final year as a Girl Scout.
McGuire’s troop opted out of traditional prizes several years ago in favor of earning more money per box to fund trips and badge workshops. She has already sold 30 boxes early in the season and hopes to reach 750.
“I always approach customers with a smile and a recommendation,” McGuire said. “It helps start the conversation.”
She credits much of her success to booth sales, neighborhood walkabouts and creative posters she designs for her mother’s workplace. McGuire’s favorite selling locations include supermarkets and sporting events, where customers often stop to share personal connections to the cookies.
“These are the best places to see people just doing what they do, and to be able to add some joy to that,” McGuire said. “The people at our stores are also very generous, especially with donations for Operation Cookie.”
Operation cookie is a program run by Girl Scouts of Nassau County where donations are used to send cookies to military stationed in the U.S. and abroad.
Another standout seller is Kelsey Parker, an 11-year-old sixth grader at Long Beach Middle School and a member of Troop 2268. A Cadette in her seventh year as a Girl Scout, Parker has sold an estimated 8,500 boxes over the years, raising nearly $50,000.
“I didn’t just sell cookies,” Parker said. “I also gathered donations so I could buy cookies for the local police and fire departments.”
Parker often sets up on a nearby corner or brings a cart of cookies to the park, creating a visible and welcoming presence. She emphasized that staying motivated can be challenging, but focusing on the positive makes all the difference.
“Don’t focus on all of the customers that didn’t come, but focus on the ones that will come,” she said. “That will give you motivation, which would automatically make you happy and excited which makes the customers buy.”
Through years of selling cookies in all kinds of weather, Parker said the experience has led to some of her strongest and most meaningful friendships.
“A Girl Scout troop is like a family,” Parker said. “You help each other grow, succeed and make memories together.”
As cookie season continues across Nassau County, these local Girl Scouts are proving that each box sold carries lessons that last far beyond March.
