Girl Scout Sells Over 5,000 Boxes of Cookies To Send Special Needs Friend to Disney World

By Sarah Carri May 21, 2019 at 8:32am

Some acts of kindness go above and beyond what we can fathom. Holding a door open or helping someone cross the street is a lovely way to show you care — but giving away a dream vacation puts you in an entirely different category.

Meet Anne Nelson. This 11-year-old may appear to be your typical girl scout, but rest assured this young lady is more than your average cookie peddler.

While she’s definitely got a knack for pushing those boxes of “do-si-dos” — selling over 5,000 boxes this cookie season — she also has a heart for giving that far exceeds her marketing abilities.

When she reached her goal and won a trip to Walt Disney World, Nelson knew only one thing could make her prize truly magical.

Nelson worked so hard, not for herself, but so she could give that once-in-a-lifetime trip to her friend from school who has special needs.

“Everyone should be kind to other people and generous because if someone wants to go somewhere or do something and they never have a chance to do it, it would make them feel amazing to do it,” Nelson told WLS-TV.

A special ceremony was held at The Disney Store inside the Chicago Ridge Mall on Saturday, May 18.

Anne presented the trip to her friend and even gave a speech she wrote for the occasion.

Girl, 11, sells Girl Scout cookies to send special needs friend on Disney World trip: https://t.co/5r8PRTgOO8 pic.twitter.com/Lio602RsK6

— ABC 7 Chicago (@ABC7Chicago) May 20, 2019

“You’re a kind person and you always try your best at school,” Nelson said in a video shared to Facebook. “I want you to have my trip because you are always smiling when things are tough.”

“I hope you have fun and you take a lot of pictures for me,” she went on. “I want to thank everyone for coming tonight. I want to thank the Girl Scouts for supporting me and providing me with the skills I need to be a leader.”

Susan Rakis shared a heartwarming post and several photos from the event as well. “The place was filled with excitement, love and happy tears,” Rakis wrote on Facebook.

“Anne said her cheeks hurt from smiling so much!…” Rakis went on. “We are proud of you Anne… very very proud!”

What an amazing thing to do! Have you ever seen a child make such a grand gesture for a friend?

What would you say if your own child came to you and said they wanted to give their Disney trip away?

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Tags:

Acts of kindness, Children, Disney, Girl Scouts USA, Good Samaritan, Video

Sarah Carri

Contributor, Lifestyle

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Sarah Carri is an avid reader and social media guru with a passion for truth and life. Her writing has previously been published in print and online by Focus on the Family and other well known media outlets. Her experience in ministry and Disney entertainment gives her a unique perspective on such topics.

Sarah's experience as a successful working stay-at-home mom and business owner has given her the chance to write and research often. She stays up to date on the latest in entertainment and offers her views on celebrity stories based on her wide knowledge of the industry. Her success as a former preschool teacher and licensed daycare provider lend to her know-how on topics relating to parenting and childhood education.

Her thoughts on faith and family issues stem from home life and ministry work. Sarah takes time to attend workshops and classes annually that help her to improve and hone her writing craft. She is a graduate of the Institute of Children's Literature program and her writing has been acclaimed by ACFW and ECPA.

Education

Institute of Children's Literature, Art Institute of Phoenix (Advertising), University of California Irvine (Theater), Snow College (Early Childhood Education)

Location

Arizona

Languages Spoken

English

Topics of Expertise

Entertainment, Faith