CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) - It's that time of year again Girl Scouts Cookie sales began Friday, and you're being encouraged to buy from someone you know first before you hit those local spots. Across western Mass., there are 2,500 Girl Scouts. If you don't know a Girl Scout, you can Google 'cookie tracker.' From there, you'll be able to punch in your zip code and find out where the scouts will be. The sales are just part of the organization's mission of teaching girls life skills at a young age. "They learn everything you would learn to do a small business, budgeting, marketing, talking to people, sales," says the CEO of Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts, Theresa Lynn. All the money raised stays local each year. Each troop sets its own goals and plans activities based on its fundraising. Local News Headlines Supreme Court Upholds NationwideTiktok Ban Girl Scout Cookie sales begin across western Massachusetts Nation’s top high school athletes showcase talent at Hoophall Classic in Springfield, day 2 of tournament Baseball fans remember hall-of-famer Bob Uecker at 90 WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.