Sherae Honeycutt

RAYMORE, Mo. — Original Post

The cookie nearly crumbled for a metro Girl Scout troop when some of their hard earned sales money didn’t turn up right.

A chunk of their money ended up being counterfeit, but a local business stepped up to help us solve the cookie conundrum.

It’s been a rough winter for many in Kansas City, but especially for Girl Scout Troop 1981 based out of Raymore.

“We’ve been snowed out. We’ve been iced out. We’ve been rained out,” troop leader and mom Wendy Montigny said. “It’s just been freezing out there for her, so it’s been tough.”

Regardless, the girls have been selling cookies in the snow, wind and rain. Montigny said they’ve been using tents, blankets and barriers to battle the elements outside of Walmart, Lowe’s and gas stations in the area.

But when she took their hard earned money to the bank, she said that’s when she really froze.

“The bank teller notified that it was counterfeit, and she said she had to seize the money and take it right then and there,” Montigny said. “We wouldn’t get credit for it.”

Someone paid with $70 of counterfeit money, and the troop said, with the amount of money they get per box, it would cost a lot more money than that to pay out of their account. Montigny said it was heartbreaking for her daughter and the other girls.

“She was just shocked,” Montigny said. “She didn’t realize that there was fake money out there. She didn’t understand, but now she knows we have to work harder to get that money back.”

FOX4 was able to find a local business who was willing to make a sizable cookie purchase. Furniture Deal$! said it’s a sweet trade and bought $500 worth of cookies. Sherae Honeycutt swung by their Belton location and picked up the check from store manager Jason Dent.

“I felt bad for them having to be out in the weather and do all this, and then for it to be counterfeit money. My heart went out to them, and excited that we had the opportunity to step in and step up and make this situation right,” Dent said.

Then Honeycutt headed over to meet Montigny who had no clue about the gift. She came out to her car and opened the envelope. She was brought to tears by the generous purchase to help her girls.

“That’s awesome! Thank you so much,” Montigny said. “It means that there’s truly people who care about our future because through Girl Scouts, the girls are going to make the world a better place out there, and they’re going to make a difference in the world, so it’s everything.”

The troop is using the money toward Girl Scout camp and a trip to St. Louis in the fall. They plan to bring around $100 boxes of cookies to Furniture Deal$! on Sunday afternoon.