It’s that time of year again — the time to empty your pockets and fill your stomachs with irresistibly delicious Girl Scout cookies.
This year is especially significant since it marks 100 years of Girl Scouts selling cookies. To celebrate, girls will introduce new Girl Scout S’mores cookies, which are crispy graham cookies double dipped in creme icing and chocolate coating. The S’mores cookie will join cookie classics like Thin Mints, Caramel deLites/Samoas and Peanut Butter Patties/Tagalongs, as well as gluten free Trios, during the 2017 cookie season.
“The Thin Mints and Caramel deLites are always our top sellers,” said Girl Scouts Heart of Central California service unit 675 cookie manager Ana Jimenez. “Many people have said that they love to freeze them and crumble them over ice cream.”
Now until March 19, people can pre-order cookies from one of the 300 girls in the Girl Scouts Heart of Central California council, according to Jimenez, who said that the first delivery of cookies will be on Feb. 20. Starting Feb. 24, which is National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend, Girl Scouts will begin selling cookies at many locations, including Lowe’s, Save Mart, Walmart, Safeway and Village Fresh.
Last year, Jimenez said that each Girl Scout sold 229 boxes on average. This year, the local troop is hoping to up that average by 12 more boxes.
“[People] should consider purchasing because the money earned will help local girls do good things in our community,” said Jimenez. “The money goes to each local troop to buy supplies for Girl Scout meetings community services events and camping. We have seen some wonderful things here in Turlock done by Girl Scouts like the enforcement of the smoking ban in our local parks.”
Through Girl Scouts cookie sales, girls learn five essential skills: goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills, and business ethics. Money raised from cookie sales stays local and goes towards funding experiences for the girls, community projects or other worthy causes.
“These skills are essential for success not only now, but for their future,” said Jimenez.
To locate the nearest cookie booth to you, visit the Girl Scouts website and input your zip code on their “Find Cookies!” tool, or by downloading the official Girl Scout Cookie Finder app to an iPhone or Android phone.
For more information, visit girlscoutshcc.org.