Dara Alitoro
Students gather at the ninth grade bake sale, enjoying baked treats and Shirley Temples in colorful cups. The fundraiser aimed to raise money for future ninth grade events.
With a line of eager students stretching beyond the dining hall doors, all the way to the stairs leading up to the language hall, the ninth grade bake sale fundraiser Wednesday, March 5, raised over $1,000 due to the support from students and faculty. With this event, the ninth grade officially started building a fund for their 10th grade social, junior and senior prom.
The bake sale featured a mix of store-bought and homemade goods, including Rice Krispies treats, brownies, donuts and cupcakes. Ninth grade class representative Sophie Salehi contributed homemade cookies and banana bread, which became a highlight of the event.
“I made the banana bread with chocolate chips,” Salehi said, “so I have to say that is my personal favorite, and cookies are always good.”
The fundraiser was originally set to take place in the courtyard, but unexpected rain led to a last-minute relocation to the Zeller Student Center. Surprisingly, this turned out to be an advantage rather than a setback, ninth grade class representative Sydney Lem said.
“I think it ended up being a little more convenient because everyone comes in the dining hall to get their food from the servery anyways,” Lem said, “and they saw the bake sale, so maybe it attracted more students to come support.”
Lem also introduced the idea of selling Shirley Temples, which added a unique twist to the sale. The bright red drinks made with grenadine syrup and sprite stood out among the baked goods and drew in more customers. Coach Ferri, who helped organize the event, said the drinks set the fundraiser apart.
“I thought it was kind of fun,” Ferri said. “Having drinks is a little bit different than just baked goods, and the class as a whole really pulled together.”
Ninth grade class representative Asha Parry said she was also surprised by how popular the drinks turned out to be.
“We chose to serve Shirley Temples,” Parry said, “which we didn’t know if it would be popular on a rainy day, but they turned out to be very popular.”
A day before in the dean hub, there were barely any people who volunteered to bring treats, ninth grade class representative Sophie Salehi said. However, after a brief conversation in the dining hall with Coach Ferri, the students brought all the baked goods necessary for the event. Each mentorship was assigned specific items to bring, ensuring there were a large variety of treats available.
“We had a few complications” Salehi said. “But other than that, I think everything turned out well, and we had a lot of things to sell.”