Brownies Brighten Reagan’s Birthday

Former President Ronald Reagan has a bit of a sweet tooth, so a Redondo Beach Brownie troop gave him a bunch of Girl Scout cookies to help him celebrate his 86th birthday Thursday.

Brownie Troop 313 delivered the cookies to Reagan’s Century City office, where the girls bestowed birthday wishes on the former president and presented him with homemade birthday cards. The icing on the cake, so to speak, was the eight boxes of cookies, one of each flavor, that the girls gave Reagan.

“He loves Girl Scout cookies,” said Reagan spokeswoman Joanne Drake. “He doesn’t have a favorite cookie, he loves them all.”

The Brownies, all third-graders, sold cookies in the lobby of the Century City building where Reagan’s office is located last year and were saddened that they didn’t get a chance to see him, said Troop Leader Tammie Scott. The Los Angeles Girl Scout Council scheduled the visit since Reagan likes to honor children who are active in community groups.

Though Reagan had left the presidency by the time most of the Brownies were born, they were thrilled to meet him.

“The girls were all very excited,” Scott said. “They got to shake his hand; he was the first famous person they had all met.”

Amanda Scott, Tammie’s daughter, said she had a lot of fun meeting Reagan, who gave each of the six girls representing the troop a gold medal with the presidential seal and his signature.

“The best part was that he gave us a special award that we get to keep forever,” Amanda said.

Reagan, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in November 1994, still goes to his office every day, Drake said.