144,000 cookies are being sent to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, thanks to Polly’s Pies guests

Polly’s calls its program “Cookies For Our Troops.”

Polly's Pies, the restaurant chain, recently completed a month-long dialog with its guests to tell them about a way they and Polly’s could show support for the men and women serving in the armed forces of the United States in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Buy cookies.

Polly’s promised that it would donate a dozen cookies to our troops for every dozen cookies purchased by guests. “God bless them,” says Polly’s team member, Sunny Martin, “our guests responded with enthusiasm and gusto. They really came through!”

Indeed. In a mere three weeks, Polly’s baked and sold some 12,000 dozen fresh and tasty cookies!

That outcome means that Polly’s is now in the process of sending 12,000 dozen cookies – 144,000 – to the troops, all baked fresh in Polly’s ovens. The first 1000 dozen are already on their way.

Martin, a Polly’s manager, said, “Guests have told me that they hope that each cookie will be a symbol of their support for the troops. And I know that Polly’s hopes that the troops can enjoy these cookies with the same zest and relish as if they were eating them at home.”

Polly’s calls its program “Cookies For Our Troops.” In addition to getting guests behind the program, Polly’s also got support from several of its vendors. Coach’s Oats donated 500 pounds of oats. Guittard's donated 250 pounds of its premium chocolate. Ceradyne, an Irvine-based manufacturer of body armor, donated all of the military approved shipping boxes. And the Orange-based printing company, We Do Graphics, donated “Cookies For Our Troops” notepads that guests can use to address their personal thoughts to the troops.  

Marisol Lizarraga, another Polly’s team member, made sure that the first batch of cookies was packaged properly. Her husband is serving his second tour in Iraq. It was also her recommendation that caused Polly’s to initiate “Cookies For Our Troops.”

Lizarraga says that the organization that actually manages the shipping of the cookies and other care packages to Iraq and Afghanistan is called One Soldier At A Time (OSAAT), www.onesoldieratatime.org. Lizarraga says that OSAAT welcomes contributions to defray the cost of its operations.

One of the nice aspects of the “Cookies For Our Troops” program is the inclusion

of personal notes and letters that will be packed with the cookies. Here’s how Lizarraga explains it in her own words…

“I picked up 1000 dozen cookies on Sunday 7/13 at Polly’s in Fullerton and my mother, daughter, and I packed the boxes into a larger box and sent over 300 thank you letters from schools in Austin, Texas; Whittier, CA, Boston, MA; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Los Alamitos, CA; along with a letter of appreciation from OSAAT, and a Polly's ‘Cookies For Our Troops’ placemat.

“My husband is currently in Iraq. I was furnished the camp addresses from his South El Monte unit Family Readiness Group's leader, Nancy Muniz. I have also opened up to Polly's employees and patrons to send me addresses of their loved ones so that I am able to send cookies to them. Polly's is going to be making cookies each month to send to Iraq & Afghanistan.

“I know from what my husband, staff sergeant Mario Carlin, has said that it’s little things like these ‘Cookies For Our Troops’ that can mean a lot to the men and women on duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. So I am really glad that Polly’s has done this program. Polly's shows true leadership and great heart. It’s not just the cookies but the thought – and the awareness – that they represent that is important.”

Polly’s Pies Restaurants are combination bakeries and family-friendly, casual dining restaurants open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, in 13 locations in Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties. The company is privately owned and has been in operation over 40 years, the first Polly’s having begun on Raymond Avenue in Fullerton in 1967.

Polly’s website is at pollyspies.com.