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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.