The Indiana Department of Health announced today that it is partnering with Girl Scouts of Central Indiana to provide free Girl Scout cookies to participants at select COVID-19 vaccination clinics around the state, including mass vaccination clinics at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and at the former Roosevelt High School in Gary.
Girl Scouts of Central Indiana is donating approximately 70,000 packages of cookies to the vaccination effort due to a pandemic-related shortfall in sales this year.
“With many traditional sales opportunities shut down due to the pandemic, our Girl Scouts found creative ways to safely sell cookies through e-commerce and other innovations,” said Danielle Shockey, CEO of Girl Scouts of Central Indiana. “Unfortunately, like many businesses, our sales fell short of our goals, and we found ourselves with extra packages of cookies. As we evaluated our options, we decided that providing these packages of cookies to thank Hoosiers who are getting vaccinated was a way to support the incredible work being done to put this pandemic behind us.”
The cookies are being transported to select locations in partnership with Langham Logistics, which has provided logistical support for the Indiana Department of Health throughout the pandemic.
State Health Commissioner Kris Box, M.D., FACOG, said the donation is a welcome addition to the state’s vaccination efforts. Hoosiers age 16 and older are currently eligible to receive a free COVID-19 vaccine at one of more than 700 sites around the state.
“We are grateful to Girl Scouts of Central Indiana for supporting the vaccination sites around the state and hope that the addition of cookies makes the experience of getting this life-saving vaccine even sweeter,” she said.
These donated cookies are separate from those donated for Operation: Cookie Drop, which sends cookies to military service members, veterans, first responders and healthcare heroes.