WATERLOO - After collecting more than 1,600 donated cookie boxes area Girl Scouts will continue their crusade this weekend to fill the hearts and stomachs of area soldiers serving in Iraq.

Earlier this year Julie Ehlers, coordinator of the Iowa's Bravest project, put out a call to community members to donate an extra box of Girl Scout cookies to be sent overseas.

"Getting this many boxes donated this far is more than I had hoped for. My first goal was to get 500 cookies, and then when I heard the UAW ( Local 838) was donating 300 I knew we would surpass that goal very quickly," Ehlers said. "Who knows, we just might make the 2,000 mark if the cookies keep coming in."

Ehlers said Girl Scout troop 184 from Cedar Falls also collected 227 donated boxes for the troops. Troops from Waterloo, Cedar Falls, Traer, Fairbank, Decorah, La Porte City, Jesup, Reinbeck, Readlyn and other Northeast Iowa communities participated in the cookie drive.

The Nestle facility in Waverly and members of Immanuel Lutheran Church also donated individual drink packets to be included in the boxes. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources also donated copies of the Iowa Outdoors magazine.

"It's so heartwarming to know that our community members and those from our surrounding communities continue to look for ways to participate," Ehlers said. "I just wish I'd have thought of this in earlier years. It's a win/win for everyone."

Volunteers will gather at UAW Local 838 hall, 2615 Washington St., at 4 p.m. April 3 to pack the boxes.

Anyone still in interested in donating cookies can contact Ehlers at 232-3795 or juliea58@mchsi.com or go online at www.iowasbravest.org.

Contact Emily Christensen at (319) 291-1570 or emily.christensen@wcfcourier.com.