Cookie Suárez, the publisher of Macaroni KID Buckhead-Midtown-Brookhaven, Ga., was scrolling through her Facebook feed a few weeks ago when an image popped up that stopped her in her tracks.
It was a picture of her daughter — about three years younger — on the cover of the just-announced newest Girl Scout Cookie, Raspberry Rally.
At first, she thought it was a joke — a friend who photoshopped the image in, perhaps? — but then she saw the image's link was straight from People Magazine.
"We had no idea," she says. "We were so excited."
How it happened
Cookie's daughter, Natalie, was invited to a Girl Scout photo shoot three years ago. The experience had been really exciting for the then-7-year-old Girl Scout. Cookie was thrilled with the experience too, especially since she was in awe of the photographer, Kate T. Parker and her book, Strong Is the New Pretty: A Celebration of Girls Being Themselves.
But then COVID hit and the photos hadn't been used for as many marketing materials as the Girl Scouts had anticipated.
So Cookie was surprised — in a great way — to see Natalie's image appear on the Girl Scout cookie box making so much attention. Natalie has been excited too.
"It’s her favorite color and she loves raspberries, so she’s over the moon," Cookie says.
 Cookie's daughter is the Girl Scout in the pink sweater and pigtails. |
It's not lost on Cookie that it's funny her daughter ended up on a box of cookies, given her mother's longtime nickname.
"The joke is it's fitting Cookie’s daughter is on a cookie box," she says with a laugh.
Girl Scout cookies — including the new Raspberry Rally flavor featuring Natalie — typically go on sale at the beginning of the new year. Raspberry Rally will be sold exclusively online.
New opportunities as a MacKID publisher
Cookie, who also works as a public health educator, started with Macaroni KID Buckhead-Midtown-Brookhaven as an assistant publisher in 2018. She had followed Macaroni KID for years to find local events happening in her community, so when she found out the local publisher was looking for an assistant, she jumped at the chance.
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Cookie Suárez and her family. |
When that publisher decided to move on a year later, Cookie stepped right in as publisher.
"I love the flexibility of Macaroni KID and experiencing things in our community I normally wouldn't have otherwise," she says. "Macaroni KID has been great for our family. But it's not just for the family fun perks. Atlanta is such a diverse city and I want to share and help enrich my community."
We're so proud of our Macaroni KID publishers and their families who are making a difference in their communities. Interested in finding out about joining our team and becoming a Macaroni KID publisher in your community? Get details at JoinMacaroniKID.com!
