Girl Scout Cookie season is here and the Scouts, adorned in their iconic badge-laden uniforms, will soon be out in full force approaching neighbors, their parents’ coworkers and shoppers at local stores, armed and ready to satisfy cookie cravings.

Supplying the Scouts for their upcoming mission was Saturday’s “mega delivery” event at Wild Rivers Waterpark in Irvine, a one-stop shop for troops where community volunteers, parents and Girl Scouts of Orange County staff were on hand to distribute about 1 million cookie packages that will end up in cupboards across the county.

  • Volunteers Katie Harris, a self-described “lifetime Girl Scout,” and her...

    Volunteers Katie Harris, a self-described “lifetime Girl Scout,” and her husband Michael Harris of Riverside help stack cases of cookies during the Girl Scouts of Orange County’s Mega Delivery event in the parking lot at Wild Rivers in Irvine on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

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Volunteers Katie Harris, a self-described “lifetime Girl Scout,” and her husband Michael Harris of Riverside help stack cases of cookies during the Girl Scouts of Orange County’s Mega Delivery event in the parking lot at Wild Rivers in Irvine on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

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The Girl Scout Cookie Program is the largest girl-led business in the world, according to an announcement from the Irvine-based organization.

The Girl Scouts aim to sell more than 2 million packages this cookie season. Proceeds for cookies sold in Orange County stay with local councils and troops, officials said, a way to fund experiences throughout the year, as well as community service projects. Each troop decides how to spend the funds its members raise.

In Orange County, there is an estimated 15,000 Girl Scouts and another 10,000 adult members.

One 14-year-old Huntington Beach “cookie entrepreneur” also spearheaded during Saturday’s event a scout uniform collection drive for girls impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires.

“It is such an exciting time for our Girl Scouts, but also for the community who supports us,” said Vikki Shepp, CEO of the Girl Scouts of Orange County.

The cookie sales aren’t just about getting treats in people’s hands, but is a chance for the Scouts to talk about all they get to do during the year, from STEM activities to travel or exploring the outdoors, she said. “It’s wonderful because it gives us time to tell our story about why Girl Scouts is so important.”

There are a number of skills the Scouts learn from the cookie sales, such as customer service, goal setting, team building, inventory control, supply-chain management, communication skills and business ethics, the organization says.

The best sellers, year after year and across the country, are the Thin Mints, Shepp said. Caramel DeLites come in at a close second.

“There’s really something for everyone. Most are vegan, which is great, and there’s a gluten-free option that is available for those folks who want to avoid gluten,” she said.

Her personal favorite? The Peanut Butter Patties – which somehow feel OK to eat as a breakfast treat, she joked.

And for those who are trying to curb the sweets after the holidays, the trick is to put them in the freezer, she quipped.

This year, local Girl Scouts will be offering the following cookie varieties: Thin Mints, Caramel DeLites, Peanut Butter Patties, Trefoils, Lemonades, Peanut Butter Sandwich, Gluten-Free Caramel Chocolate Chip, Toast-Yay and Adventurefuls.

Prices are $6 a box, $7 for the gluten-free cookies. Booth sales begin Feb. 7 and sales run through March 16 – or until they run out.