NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — There's a longtime Friday morning tradition at NewsChannel 5. As the dayside shift gets going, Vicki Yates is at Kroger picking up a few things for everybody.
"Cookie Friday is the best day of the week," said NewsChannel 5 director Andrew Diemer.
"It's more like a holiday," smiled reporter Kelsey Gibbs. "It's the end of the week. You need a treat and then there it is."
"Vicki brings in a host of cookies for the break room," said meteorologist Lelan Statom.
"It makes you feel like home," said videographer Nathan Sharkey.
"It brings a little joy to our day," added videographer Dan Blommel.
Vicki knows what everybody loves.
"This is the pièce de résistance!" Vicki said, approaching a table at Kroger. "Everybody comes for the Christie cookies."
"Those are the bomb," Lelan agreed. "Oh! Good stuff."
"I'll just buy family sized Oreo," Vicki said, picking up another box of cookies.
It's important to Vicki that anyone who wants cookies will have cookies.
"We have one member who is allergic to gluten, so I make sure I get something gluten-free," she said walking down another aisle.
"She was definitely just thinking about me and my being able to enjoy cookies," said Nathan. "That was great."
So, here's a question. Since Vicki's done Cookie Friday this whole time she's been at NewsChannel 5, how many boxes of cookies has she bought?
"500!" Lelan said. "I think that's a conservative estimate."
"900," Dan guessed.
"2,000?" Andrew asked.
"3,000 boxes of cookies?" Kelsey asked.
"I think I could have put children through school based on what I paid for those cookies," Vicki laughed.
We talked to Vicki and did a little math. While it isn't certain, we think Vicki has brought NewsChannel 5 around 10,000 boxes of cookies over the years.
"Wow. That's a lot of cookies," Lelan smiled. "Thank you, Vicki!"
With Vicki's upcoming retirement, a question remains. Who will take over Cookie Friday?
"I can't hold up that mantle!" Dan said.
"It's not in my contract," Kelsey added. "Someone definitely needs to take over Cookie Friday. There has to be or there'll be protests!"
"I don't know what we're going to do if someone does not pick up this tradition," Lelan said.
Then again, there is something irreplaceable about someone who'd bring a mountain of cookies every week for decades just for her co-workers.
"It was always such a kind thing Vicki always did for us and made us feel appreciated," said Dan. "I'm going to miss that about Vicki."
