For Girl Scout Troop 150 troop leader Stephanie Olivas, Girl Scouts means more to her and the 19 members of her troop than selling cookies.

Don’t mistake it - the cookie sales are important. During March and Girl Scout Week 2026, which is March 8 through 14, the emphasis is on the familiar and delicious sweet treats like Thin Mints, Samoas, Tagalongs and Exploremores.

“We give our all to the cookies but the girls just thoroughly enjoy being together and being friends. There are entrepreneurial skills, social and communication skills that they learn when they sell the cookies. I am proud that they are out there selling the cookies themselves, it’s not mom or dad or whoever is at the booth with them doing the selling,” Olivas said.

The Sterling City Council and Mayor Diana Merdian recognized Troop 150 on March 2 with a proclamation honoring Girl Scout Week 2026.

“My favorite time of the year is March when we get to have our Girl Scouts here with us and leading the Pledge with us,” Merdian said.

Ward 1 Alderwoman Retha Elston thanked the members of Troop 150, Olivas and the parents who attended the meeting.

“Thank you for coming tonight. I was a Girl Scout leader for many years. It’s a really good program. You get to meet other girls and do community events so thank you for being in Scouts,” Elston told the group of Girl Scouts.

Olivas told the council that the Troop 150 Girl Scouts give hundreds of hours of volunteer time annually in the local community.

“Over the summer we pack lunch bags for the summer lunch program with United Way. We have helped distribute food at the food pantry. We run a mini food pantry at the First Presbyterian Church. We volunteer with Toys for Tots every year and we have also volunteered with the Buddy Bags program,” Olivas said.

Olivas, who started in Girl Scouts but had to drop out when her family could not afford the membership dues, said she is determined that any girl who wants to join is able to.

“I could not afford Girl Scouts so I never wanted that to happen to any other girl. I have made it my mission to find ways so that kids never have to worry about dues,” she said.

Her daughter Isabelle is the reason Olivas started Troop 150 in 2018.

“She is a straight-A student, in sports and she has been in Scouts since she was in kindergarten. She is the reason I became a troop leader. I wanted to be able to spend time with her,” Olivas said.

Olivas’s troop has an 85% return rate and is open to any girl from kindergarten to 12th grade.

“Currently my troop has girls in kindergarten through sophomores in high school. We are a multi-level troop and we just really enjoy being together and spending time together,” Olivas said.