Local Boy Scouts contribute $25,000 of support to Offutt troops

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Danielle Grannan
  • 55th Wing Public Affairs
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. --  With bright red fingers and noses, more than a dozen Team Offutt members braved the November chill to help unload and store 168 cases of popcorn local Boy Scouts of America troops donated to Offutt for deploying military members.

The Boy Scouts of America, Mid-America Council, spent a large portion of this year's Trail's End- Boy Scout Popcorn Sale campaign soliciting donations for military troops in addition to raising money for their own scouting needs. Patrons were able to donate a $25 box of popcorn or simply contribute to donation jars set up on selling tables outside retail stores. Donated money was used to buy more boxes of popcorn for the military.

Four hundred and twenty scouts contributed to this effort, raising more than $100,000. They are also sending portions of the donated popcorn to the 85th Wing in Sioux City, Iowa and other military organizations.

"I believe the Boy Scouts of America and the military go hand in hand," said Elizabeth Harrington, the Mid-America Council campaign manager. "Both organizations have the same beliefs and many boy scouts go on to join the military. It's part of our oath to give back to our community and I can't see many better ways to do so than giving back to our military members."

Ms. Harrington also said the donation drive for the military helped increase overall sales from last year.

"We sold approximately 3.5 million dollars worth of popcorn this year, which is up from last year when we placed fourth in the nation for sales with 3.3 million dollars," she said.

The popcorn sale, which lasted from Oct. 2 through Oct. 30, provides local scouting organizations with a 70 percent return from their sales.