Outpouring of support for victimized Girl Scout
TACOMA, Wash. – A local Girl Scout was heartbroken last week after a thief stole the money she had made selling cookies – but now her faith in humanity has been restored.
Two Good Samaritans and a local radio station have come forward with donations that have made up her loss - and then some. Others have flocked to her stand to buy boxes of cookies from her.
And now the girl, Beverly Reed, is contributing the extra money to Operation Cookie Drop, which sends Girl Scout cookies to U.S. troops serving overseas.
One of those Good Samaritans who came forward to help her is Robert Sullivan of Lynnwood, who saw the KOMO News report about Beverly's loss and decided to help a girl he'd never met.
He came to Beverly's cookie table outside a Tacoma supermarket Saturday and told her: "I saw Shomari's story on you and it broke my heart."
"I'm sorry about what happened, and I'm going to contribute a little something so you can recover from this bad deal," Robert said, then handed her $500 in cash.
The cold-hearted crime happened Thursday. Beverly and her mother were selling Girl Scout cookies outside a Tacoma Safeway, when a man walked up, snatched $465 in cash and ran off, leaving the 16-year-old heart broken.
After the theft, Beverly broke down in tears as she described what happened.
"I've been doing this for 10 years and that's never happened to me," she said at the time. "That's very upsetting."
But Robert Sullivan says he hopes his donation and others will help Beverly "get past all this."
Beverly said she was surprised by the outpouring of support she has surprised.
"I didn't think he would give me any money or $500 at all. That's a lot," she said.
Radio station KISW-FM gave Beverly $999 after they heard about her plight, and an anonymous woman handed over a $100 bill.
But Robert's donation is the most from a single person, showing Girl Scout Beverly Reed that there are still good people in the world.
Beverly had planned on selling 1,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies. She has surpassed her goal with the help of Robert and other folks in the community, selling 1,500 boxes.
Now the extra money will go to Operation Cookie Drop, which provides Girl Scout cookies to troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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• View a behind-the-scenes look at the story with Shomari Stone »
Two Good Samaritans and a local radio station have come forward with donations that have made up her loss - and then some. Others have flocked to her stand to buy boxes of cookies from her.
And now the girl, Beverly Reed, is contributing the extra money to Operation Cookie Drop, which sends Girl Scout cookies to U.S. troops serving overseas.
One of those Good Samaritans who came forward to help her is Robert Sullivan of Lynnwood, who saw the KOMO News report about Beverly's loss and decided to help a girl he'd never met.
He came to Beverly's cookie table outside a Tacoma supermarket Saturday and told her: "I saw Shomari's story on you and it broke my heart."
"I'm sorry about what happened, and I'm going to contribute a little something so you can recover from this bad deal," Robert said, then handed her $500 in cash.
The cold-hearted crime happened Thursday. Beverly and her mother were selling Girl Scout cookies outside a Tacoma Safeway, when a man walked up, snatched $465 in cash and ran off, leaving the 16-year-old heart broken.
After the theft, Beverly broke down in tears as she described what happened.
"I've been doing this for 10 years and that's never happened to me," she said at the time. "That's very upsetting."
But Robert Sullivan says he hopes his donation and others will help Beverly "get past all this."
Beverly said she was surprised by the outpouring of support she has surprised.
"I didn't think he would give me any money or $500 at all. That's a lot," she said.
Radio station KISW-FM gave Beverly $999 after they heard about her plight, and an anonymous woman handed over a $100 bill.
But Robert's donation is the most from a single person, showing Girl Scout Beverly Reed that there are still good people in the world.
Beverly had planned on selling 1,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies. She has surpassed her goal with the help of Robert and other folks in the community, selling 1,500 boxes.
Now the extra money will go to Operation Cookie Drop, which provides Girl Scout cookies to troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
-----
• View a behind-the-scenes look at the story with Shomari Stone »