Girl Scouts surpass food drive goal

Published 11:28 pm Saturday, February 17, 2007

It’s not often when it’s OK to be both competitive and generous.

On Saturday the Dalton Girl Scouts sponsored a food drive called “Can do! Challenge 95,” and proved being both could be done.

It was a contest between all the Girl Scout troops in Dalton to see which one could collect 95 items of non-perishable foods for the Salvation Army’s food bank in Dalton.

The Scouts aced the test, collecting more than 1,000 food items, according to Anita Stewart, membership specialist for the Girl Scouts. That’s not counting the amount dropped off at the Scout office on East Walnut Avenue by the community, Stewart said. She didn’t know how much had been dropped off, but said it was sizable.

“It has gone really well,” Stewart said. “We’re very excited. One scout brought in 175 items herself. She went through her neighborhood asking for donations. And any money she got, she used to buy food.”

That Scout was Kaelyn Dunagan, a third-grader in troop 8143.

“(The 1,000 items) was on the upper end of what I expected,” Stewart said. “The Salvation Army food bank has been in an unfortunate situation and we are happy to do this.”

Next year, Stewart said, the Scouts want to challenge local grocers and businesses in Can Do! II, to help fill the food bank with non-perishables.