Girl Scout Troop 2383 decided to do something different with the profits from their Girl Scout Cookie sales. Instead of a trip to Build-A-Bear or a movie night, they decided to support their Newport Elementary School. With the support of troop leaders and Principal Amanda Estrada, they saved $5,000 from two years’ worth of cookie sales to purchase a book vending machine.

“I love to read. It’s so fun! I’m always reading a book,” said fifth-grader Anabelle Salazar. 

She and a couple of girls in her multilevel troop of 22 third- to fifth-graders participate in the Battle of the Books against students from other Newport-Mesa Unified School District schools. For fifth-grader Reagan Pilon, also a Battle of the Books competitor, donating a vending machine that dispenses popular reading options to fellow book lovers was a no-brainer. The selection includes picture books for younger readers and chapter books for upper-grade students.

“The Puppy Place books are my favorite because I love to read about animals,” said fourth-grader Griffin Grieve.

The troop’s generous donation was customized with the school’s whale-tale logo, and during a recent flag deck, the school was presented with a plaque to commemorate the girls’ extraordinary effort that will be affixed just below the logo. It reads, “In the hopes of inspiring a love for reading, this Book Vending Machine was made possible by the hard work and fundraising efforts of Newport El Girl Scout Troop 2383.” The girls’ signatures surround the dedication.

During the cookie sale season, the girls decorated their sales booths with photos of what they wanted to purchase and a thermometer tracking their progress toward their goal. To incentivize sales, they told customers about their plans and accepted donations.

“We wanted to give back to our school,” said fifth-grader Izzy Iott.

Estrada is thrilled with the donation, but she is even prouder of the students who made it happen. “This is a good example of the Best on the Beach behavior we promote at our school. These incredible girls were dedicated to doing something to help their whole school community,” she said.

Students who earn 20 Best on the Beach tickets by demonstrating positive behaviors can trade them in for books from the newly installed machine.