Mechanicsville, Virginia, March 11 — Fulfilling a pledge made when they learned that Ahold/Martin’s banned Richmond-area Girl Scout troops from selling cookies in front of Ukrop’s stores, members of United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 400 today purchased the first 100 boxes of Girl Scout cookies sold in front of a Kroger store.

“Girl Scouts do so much good in our communities,” said UFCW Local 400 President Jim Lowthers. “Our members work to make their communities better places to live and many have daughters who are in the Girl Scouts, themselves. It was only natural that our members jumped at the chance to welcome displaced troops to sell cookies in front of Kroger stores, and to buy the first 100 boxes sold.”

“We’re proud to support the excellent work of the Girl Scouts and all they do to build girls of courage, confidence, and character,” said UFCW Local 400 Secretary-Treasurer Tom McNutt. “I know that the former owners of Ukrop’s felt the same way, and it’s a real shame that the new owners of the chain decided to give the Girl Scouts the Royal Ahold treatment. I just hope that, in the wake of this controversy, Richmond-area Girl Scouts sell more cookies and raise more funds than ever to support their efforts.”

Alex Graves, a shop steward working at Kroger #515 in Mechanicsville, made the 100-box cookie purchase today from a Girl Scout troop selling cookies in front of his store on behalf of UFCW Local 400.

UFCW Local 400 represents 37,000 members working in the retail food, retail, health care, food processing, service and other industries in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, West Virginia, Ohio, Tennessee and Kentucky.

Photo: Local 400 shop steward Allan Graves buys the first 100 boxes from members of Girl Scout Troop #57; photo by UFCW 400's Robert Brown