Highlands Church to host 29th Annual Cookie Walk

The Highlands United Methodist Church of Bella Vista will be hosting their 29th Annual Cookie Walk from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 2. Doors will open at 8 a.m. for the event. The Cookie Walk raises money to give to different missions in the Northwest Arkansas area. “We give 100 percent of the money raised to area missions,” stated Lori Pinkerton, publicity chairperson of the Cookie Walk. “We ask our people to make 20 dozen cookies each during the week before the event and that is all donated.”

The Cookie Walk is a church-wide sponsored event with a large member participation. At the Cookie Walk there will also be soups-to-go available in addition to a big candy shop and handmade crafts. These items are set up by the United Methodist Women, who in turn donate to area missions as well. “The church does a homes tour and cookie walk each year – those are our two big church-wide fundraisers,” said Pinkerton. The Cookie Walk has generated anywhere between $4,000 to $6,000 in the past for area missions.

“My favorite part of the Cookie Walk is the festive spirit of it all,” stated Cookie Walk member Barbara Zillmann. “It’s a way to help others.” The entire church is involved with the Cookie Walk – even the church choir will walk around the event singing Christmas carols. “People enjoy listening to the choir and some people enjoy joining in and singing with them,” noted Cookie Walk Chairman Jane Rowland. “The whole church comes alive and you can get coffee and cinnamon rolls – it’s a good kick into the Christmas season,” added Pinkerton. Many of the church members have participated in the event for all 29 years and enjoy the tradition of the event.

On Monday, Nov. 27, Cookie Walk committee members gathered together at the church and decorated cookies for the walk. The cookies are then kept in a cooler until the day of the Cookie Walk. “When you come into the church the day of the walk, you have the fragrance of the cookies drawing you in,” said Zillmann. For newcomers to the Cookie Walk, each person buys a ticket and receives a number upon entering the walk. The cost is $12 a can, with a limit of 8 cans to a family. After receiving their number, participants may enjoy a cinnamon roll and coffee while shopping the handmade crafts and candy shop until their number is called. After their number is called, each participant will get their own can and will be able to fill it with cookies from tables that line the entire fellowship hall. Each participant gets a glove to wear and then can walk along and put cookies in their can themselves. At the end of the walk, each can is sealed in a festive fabric bag and those who have purchased multiple cans of cookies are helped to their car.

All proceeds from the Cookie Walk support Highlands Church mission and ministry projects. Highlands Church is located at 371 Glasgow Road, in Bella Vista. For more information about the Cookie Walk event or church service times, call (479) 855-2277.