For soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq, nothing lifts their spirits more than receiving a package from home or words of encouragement.

Since 2002, Girl Scouts in the Hudson Valley region have shown their support for military personnel serving overseas by sending cookies, along with cards, letters and drawings. This year, the Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson’s Operation Cookie Drop program resulted in more than 50,000 boxes of Thin Mints, Samoas and other brands being loaded onto U.S. Navy vehicles at the New York State National Guard Armory in Valhalla in mid-June.

“It’s a small thing, but it makes a difference,” said Alison Bergman, volunteer coordinator of the program. “It’s a big undertaking that has just gotten bigger and bigger.”

The boxes of cookies are transported from a military cargo ship in Baltimore to Kuwait and take less than a month to arrive in the hands of soldiers.

Girl Scouts in Tarrytown, Sleepy Hollow and Irvington were among those that sold cookies to customers, who then donated the boxes to the program.

Sally Bjorkland, a scout leader with Daisy Troop 1311 in Tarrytown, said customers were more than willing to help out.

“Every person at the train station would say I don’t need to put on any more weight, so give it to our soldiers,” she said. “You try to think what would make them happy and take their minds off of things. It makes a huge difference.”

Jaime Echt, head scout leader of more than 200 girls scouts in Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow, said approximately 150 boxes of cookies were donated from the area.

“They totally live for the cookies,” Echt said of military personnel overseas, many of whom respond to the scouts later via e-mails. “They love it.”

Echt noted her troops also gave cookies to veterans at the Memorial Day Parade.

Theresa McCann of Irvington said this was the first year Daisy Troop 2286 took part in Operation Cookie Drop, contributing 27 boxes.

“It’s a great little lesson,” she said.