Mar. 25, 2026
Girl Scouts of Southern Appalachians announced the winner of the Great Cookie Competition and celebrated the 2026 cookie season with curated beer and signature cookie pairings at Yee-Haw Brewing Co.
The third annual Great Cookie Tasting, a flavorful fundraising event March 24, offered flights of craft beer expertly paired with signature Girl Scout cookies, a vote for the crowd’s favorite pairing, and revealed Katherine Strate Smith as the winner of the Great Cookie Competition. Smith, of Strate Insurance Group, represented Samoas® and raised $3,525. More than $13,000 was raised by cookie competitors overall.
“We congratulate Katherine Strate Smith and also want to express our sincere gratitude to all of our cookie competitors as well as everyone who donated or purchased cookies,” said Lynne Fugate, CEO of the Girl Scout Council of the Southern Appalachians (GSCSA). “All of the proceeds stay local to empower girls and offer experiences that foster courage, confidence and character to build tomorrow’s leaders.”
Smith was among nine local celebrity and business leaders who represented signature Girl Scout cookies and competed to raise money online, through social media and through local business partnerships. Some examples of unique fundraising efforts included:
- Michael Galyean and Amber Lynn Carroll partnered with Ricky’s Neighborhood Bar, and a portion of each cookie-inspired cocktail went to the competition.
- Knoxville Smokies mascot duo Knox and Jackson partnered with Sugar Queen Doughnutry to create an Exploremores® doughnut, inspired by the new Exploremores chocolate sandwich cookie.
- Kelcey Schenheit with Anakeesta worked with Kendra Scott, and a portion of sales using a special promo code went to her campaign total for Girl Scouts.
- Kaitlyn Walsh partnered with Art of Cakes, and they created an Adventurefuls®-flavored cupcake.
- Leslie Bateman created videos where she crumbled cookies in various creative ways for donations. Videos included cookies dipped in martinis, used to eclipse the Sunsphere and crushed with stilettos.
All proceeds from the competition will go to financial assistance for the Girl Scout experience, including local programming, uniforms and summer camp scholarships. Each year, Girl Scouts of Southern Appalachians provides approximately $120,000 in financial assistance so that every girl, regardless of family circumstances, can experience Girl Scouting.
Visit supportgirlscouts.org for information on how to support local troops.
About Girl Scout Council of the Southern Appalachians
Girl Scouts is the preeminent leadership development organization for girls, offering programs that give every girl a chance to practice a lifetime of entrepreneurship, adventure and success – whether they want to climb to the top of a tree or the top of their class, lace up their boots for a hike, advocate for community causes or make their first best friends. The Girl Scouts of Southern Appalachians has approximately 11,500 girl and adult members in 46 counties from southwest Virginia, through eastern Tennessee, and northern Georgia. Membership is open to all girls from kindergarten through their senior year in high school. Backed by trusted adult volunteers, mentors and millions of alums, Girl Scouts builds girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place. To join us, volunteer, reconnect or donate, visit girlscoutcsa.org or call 800-474-1912.
