Food banks in Idaho and Utah are receiving $5,000 from Dairy West, a regional dairy promotion organization, after shoppers in the two states donated thousands of boxes of Girl Scout cookies.

This year’s Cookies from the Heart campaign asked cookie purchasers to pay $5 for an extra box of cookies to be donated to local food banks for distribution to their clients.

Additionally, Dairy West gave $1 per donated box to the food banks for every box donated to pair those cookies with milk. Dairy West committed to donate up to $5,000 in each state.

To encourage donations, Darigold, a Northwest dairy cooperative, gave out free milk during events held at Albertsons stores in Idaho and Harmons stores in Utah.

“Dairy farm families are committed to supporting their neighbors and increasing access to nutrient-rich foods through community partnerships,” said Jaclyn St. John, Dairy West director of community wellness.

In Idaho, the effort prompted 16,051 cookie box donations to the Idaho Food Bank — an increase of more than 30% compared to last year’s Cookies from the Heart campaign.

“Community partnerships are key to providing neighbors facing hunger with the resources and hope they need to move toward a positive future,” said Morgan Wilson, Idaho Foodbank chief development officer.

“This is a great example of collaboration, bringing together the hard-working and dedicated Girl Scouts of Silver Sage and our year-round partner Dairy West,” she said.

Dairy West did not get the specific number of donated boxes in Utah but chose to honor the full matching donation of $5,000 to the Utah Food Bank.