OTM Sendoff and Family Festival

Saturday, May 14, 6-9 p.m.
USS Midway Museum
910 N. Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101
Registration closed

Everyone (family, friends, troops, and more!) is invited aboard the USS Midway Museum (value $18-26) for an exciting evening on the flight deck, featuring music, interactive booths, and a patriotic pep rally honoring the Operation Thin Mint℠ (OTM) Program, our troops, and Elite Entrepreneurs.

Salute our military as we celebrate shipping over three million packages of Girl Scout Cookies to deployed troops and veterans! Bring a picnic dinner or enjoy food from the concession stand, take photos with costumed cookie characters, shop at the onsite Girl Scout shop, visit community partner booths, and explore the Midway Museum after hours!

Since 2002, Girl Scouts have participated in collecting cookie packages for Operation Thin Mint, a local Girl Scout service project that originated in San Diego. Our Girl Scout troops and their generous cookie customers have sent over three million packages of America's favorite cookies and countless notes of support to deployed troops serving around the world. At the end of each cookie season, Girl Scouts come together to celebrate sending off the cookies to our military service members.

Know Before You Go

SCHEDULE

6 p.m. Guests board USS Midway
Throughout the evening enjoy:
- Museum tours of “Life of a Naval Aviator”
- Interactive community partner booths
- “Notes from Home” letter writing station
- Photo opportunities
- Concession stands and GSSD pop-up store
7:40 p.m. Live program with Heather Lake, FOX 5 San Diego
8:15 p.m. Fun-filled dance party by DeOndre
9 p.m. Event ends

TRANSPORTATION

Get directions and parking information for the Midway Museum.
Please note: Weekends are very busy in Downtown/Seaport Village/Waterfront Park area. Parking will be limited, and we encourage you to arrive early, carpool with other attendees, use rideshare, or public transit.
Learn more about the SANDAG Youth Opportunity Pass pilot program, where all youth (under age 18) ride free on the bus, Trolley, COASTER, and SPRINTER through June 30, 2023.

SUGGESTED ATTIRE

Girl Scout uniforms vests, sashes, and T-shirts and patriotic wear are encouraged! We suggest wearing layers as it gets chilly at night, and the entire event will be outdoors.

ITEMS NOT PERMITTED

Chairs of any kind
Alcohol, glass containers
Wagons, unoccupied strollers or wheelchairs
Coolers larger than six-pack size

WHAT TO BRING

Small meal items (e.g., brown-bag dinners or takeout meals); snacks-hamburgers and hotdogs will be available for purchase; no food deliveries (strictly enforced)
Six-pack size coolers (no larger coolers or wagons)
Small blankets to use while picnicking on the flight deck
Strollers and wheelchairs, if occupied by an individual

SOCIAL MEDIA

Follow Girl Scouts San Diego on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok. During the program and celebration, share your photos and videos using #OTMSendoff #BestPlace4Girls, and tag us @sdgirlscouts.

COVID-19 HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDELINES

Following CDC’s Community Levels measurement tool and the California Department of Public Health’s mask requirements, masks are now optional for Girl Scouts San Diego and its events.

Here is more information on our COVID-19 health and safety guidelines.

A special thank you for 17 years of support and Midway magic!

2022 Sponsors

5-Star Partner

Carole J. Larson

4-Star Partners

2021 OTM Sendoff Recap

Celebrating 20 Years

This year, Girl Scouts celebrated 20 years of Operation Thin Mint. Watch the Facebook Live recording for a tour of the pop-up exhibit, the ceremony introducing the three Girl Scouts who had the most OTM donations as of Sunday, March 28, and celebrating April as the Month of the Military Child.

2020 OTM Sendoff Recap

Unfortunately OTM Sendoff 2020 was cancelled due to COVID-19.

2019 OTM Sendoff Recap

It Rained…We Shined!

Thank you to all who participated in our 18th annual Operation Thin Mint Sendoff Family Festival on May 10 (photos). This was our 15th consecutive year of partnering with USS Midway! A cheering crowd of nearly 2,000 gathered in the historic ship’s hangar bay (moved indoors due to the rain forecast) as Girl Scouts revealed that San Diegans donated over 165,000 boxes of cookies this year for deployed U.S. military troops.

News 8 This Morning’s Jenny Milkowski emceed the event where attendees had the opportunity to personally thank military troops for their service to the U.S. and to write messages of support to accompany the cookies at the “Notes From Home” booth.

Troop 5912 presented the colors, and Dawn Kubik and Girl Scout Ellie O’Connel brought the house down with trumpet and vocals for Taps. Elite entrepreneurs (2019+ packages) were honored, and Superstars (100+ OTM package donations) received a special gift. There was even a surprise visit by Nina De Burgh, the great–great-niece of Girl Scouts’ founder Juliette Gordon Low!

DJ Jeremy kept the party rockin’, Millie the Bear debuted at the OTM mobile store, and community partners offered hands-on activities throughout the event.

Cabrillo National Monument
Center Stage Productions
Code With Her
Flower Girl World
Girl Advisory Board
Great Wolf Lodge
Inspire School of Ballet
Living Coast Discovery Center
Mission Federal Credit Union
National Marine Mammal Foundation
SDG&E
Seven Spears Martial Arts Academy

Inquiries:

Sponsorships: Desiree Perez, 619-610-0801
Event information: Dayana Silva-James, 619-610-0737
Registration questions: customercare@sdgirlscouts.org