Orlando Girl Scouts receive annual cookie supply during mega drop event | FOX 35 Orlando

Orlando Girl Scouts receive annual cookie supply during mega drop event

Thin Mints! Caramel Delites! Peanut Butter Patties! Girl Scout Cookie fans, rejoice.

It's the start of cookie season. Orange County Girl Scout Lily Rhoads said she sold 800 packs of cookies, last year. "I'm proud of myself," she said, "I don't think I've ever sold that many."

This year, Lily hopes to beat that number. Saturday was the "Cookie Mega Drop," when Girl Scout troops picked up their supply of cookies. "Today alone, these girls are moving 820,116 boxes out of this warehouse. In our local economy, it's about an $8 million sale, here in Central Florida," said Maryann Barry, CEO of Girls Scouts of Citrus Council.

From the warehouse, the boxes of cookies were sent to the troops, and from there distributed to the families for sale. District leaders said all the money collected from the sales stayed in the district. "We kind of bank it and save it for bigger trips," explained troop leader Jaclyn Rhoads, "but this year we have a bridging year so the girls will get all new vests, so it will help to pay for that. And also, like I said, some community service projects in between, that we'll be doing."

While the scouts still sell cookies door-to-door, in their yards, and in front of retail stores, lots of selling happens online, these days, too. Lily has connected with buyers through videos that her mom posts on social media. "It's about teaching girls fundamental core values in self-confidence. Not only selling cookies, business ideas and entrepreneurship," said Dr. Romie Mushtaq, a Girls Scouts National Board Member

The Girl Scout Cookie program is the largest girl-led business in the world. Scouts sell about 200 million boxes of cookies during each cookie season.

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