Local Girl Scouts use cookie money to help comfort young patients at EPH Urgent Care
Left to right: Jacqueline Stamey (adult), Paityn Rhoades, Aspen Kinch, Letha Leaming, Daniella Rojas, Jordan Stamey, Olivia Reihing, Julie Irish (adult). (Photo by Wendy Rigby/Estes Park Health)
On Friday, Sept. 22, a group of pint-sized do-gooders dropped off 100 gift bags for the Estes Park Urgent Care to give to sick children who visit the clinic.
Troop 70449 sold Girl Scout Cookies at the beginning of 2023 to raise money for themselves, to give away to Hometown Heroes, and to give something back to the community.
The first, second and third graders are daisies and brownies who attend Estes Park Elementary School.
EPH Material Management Information Specialist Jacqueline Stamey is one of the troop’s co-leaders.
The young scouts earned a #GirlScoutsGiveBack badge for their efforts. (Photo by Wendy Rigby/Estes Park Health)
“For the community project portion of the cookie sales, my bright idea was to get some trash bags and go pick up trash until they lost their interest and move on,” Stamey recalled. “The girls did not like that idea. They wanted to create a gift bag for kids who are sick.”
A few weeks ago, Stamey contacted the EPH Urgent care to let them know the Girl Scout troop was delivering these bags for their young patients.
“She shared with me that a couple of the kids had been to Urgent Care before,” said Kendra Vancil, EPH Urgent Care Manager. “They just had it on their heart that they wanted to give something special to the kids. I think it’s always special to receive something when you’re not feeling well. I think the kids coming in will appreciate it and enjoy the gifts.”
The girls excitedly showed off what is inside the bags: a mini stuffed animal, a little sketch book, some crayons, and a little keychain Pop It.
Overall, the girls sold more than $3,200 worth of Girl Scout cookies last school year. They donated 100 packages to Larimer County Search and Rescue. Their other goal was to raise enough money to visit the “dinosaur” museum.
“As we adults know it, that’s the Denver Museum of Nature and Science,” Stamey commented with a smile. “They will take that trip at the beginning of October.”
So far, the troop has spent $300 for the bags and goodies for Urgent Care. They have more to spend when these bags have been handed out.
Jessica Brown, an EMT-P with the Urgent Care Clinic, said she shared the first little pink bunny bag with a sad patient who had to have a nose swab and it really helped with her tears.
“Thank you again to our special fairies who brought us these nice gifts to help our patients,” Brown noted.
The girls excitedly showed off what is inside the bags: a mini stuffed animal, a little sketch book, some crayons, and a little keychain Pop It. (Photo by Wendy Rigby/Estes Park Health)
Stamey’s daughter, seven-year-old Jordan, is a second grader who said she likes being a Girl Scout “because we get to do a bunch of different things. One time, this person came up to Safeway just to buy our Girl Scout Cookies!”
Second grader Olivia Reihing said it was easy to sell the cookies.
“When my mommy was working at Claire’s, we were standing outside of Claire’s and one of her co-workers came and bought cookies because she had bought Girl Scout Cookies a long time ago,” Olivia said. “All of her family members ate them before she could get any.”
Brownie Aspen Kinch said she enjoyed the Urgent Care bag project.
“We decided it as a whole troop,” Aspen emphasized. “It was fun. I don’t have a favorite part. I liked it all.”
The young scouts earned a #GirlScoutsGiveBack badge for their efforts.
“I’m so proud of them,” co-leader Stamey said. “I’m so proud of the hard work that they did to sell those cookies when it was snowing and windy. These six-year-olds were outside Safeway and all the other booths they manned. I am proud of the fact that they could articulate their goals. They had such a good idea of what they wanted to do for the kids in their community.”
