It’s time of year again, when local Girl Scout troops travel door-to-door and set up shop in front of storefronts to sell everyone’s favorite springtime treats.
From Thin Mints and Samoas to Tagalongs, Trefoils and so much more, Girl Scout Cookies are here for the Santa Clarita Valley community to enjoy.
Last year, the Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles, which serves the Santa Clarita Valley, sold more than 5 million boxes of cookies to residents. And this year, the area’s troops are looking to sell even more.
On Saturday, 164 Girl Scout troops and more than 200 volunteers gathered in Valencia to collect 17,383 cases of Girl Scout Cookies.
Called a “Cookie Mega Drop,” the massive distribution event allowed local troops to grab 208,596 boxes of cookies to sell door-to-door during the first week of cookie sales.
“It’s a very orchestrated and organized process for all the things we do for the Girl Scout Cookies program,” said Melanie Larsen, senior communications manager for Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles. “For each group there is a volunteer, called a troop cookie chair, who go and pick up those initial orders for each troop. There’s a specific formula each troop will use to determine how many cookies they should get and which cookies they should pick up.”
Then, as they sell out of cookies, Girl Scouts and volunteers return to the “Cookie Cupboards” to gather more supplies and cases of cookies. In Santa Clarita, troops have four locations to choose from in Canyon Country, Castaic, Valencia and Saugus.
“The Cookie Cupboards are where they go to replenish their supplies… We have those volunteers there that are there to hand over cookies and to track things,” Larsen said. “I would say that troops probably end up going a couple time throughout the season
In addition to providing the community with tasty treats, the Girl Scout Cookies program teaches girls financial literacy and leadership and entrepreneurial skills.
“Everything we do in Girl Scouts is giving the girls the driver’s seat. They’re running their own cookie business,” Larsen said. “They are working with a team to determine their goals and are being realistic of how to achieve those goals.”
Through their cookie sales, Girl Scouts can earn 27 financial literacy and Girl Scout Cookie Program badges.
“They are learning five skills essential to being a business leader, which are goal-setting, decision-making, money management, business ethics and people skills so those are their main focuses,” Larsen said.
The cookie sales also support the local troops’ activities and programs like outdoor camps, robotics tournaments, community service projects, public speaking trainings and after-school programs.
“When you buy cookies not only are you supporting the program itself and the girls learning these skills, but you’re also supporting the funding for the activities for Girl Scouts,” Larsen said.
This year, each box of Girl Scout Cookies—Thin Mints, Samoas, Tagalongs, Trefoils, Do-si-Dos and Savannah Smiles—cost $5. Gluten-free Toffee-tastic and non-GMO Girl Scout S’mores, the Girl Scouts’ specialty cookies, are $6 a box.
Booth sales in front of local storefronts will begin Feb. 9. Cookies will continue to be available for purchase throughout the Santa Clarita Valley until March 11. To find local Girl Scout Cookies visit: www.girlscouts.org/cookies.
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