Join the discussion.

Inklings News

Join the discussion.

Inklings News

Join the discussion.

Inklings News

The Spirit of Candygrams

The Spirit of Candygrams

Excited whispers of anticipation hum throughout the room as students wait for the telltale sign of Santa hats or reindeer antlers: Candygrams have arrived. Members of the Global Friendship club burst in, red bags bulging with candy canes sent from friends. Excitement reaches its peak as names are called, candy canes are tossed, and students discover who of their friends was thoughtful enough to send them a Candygram.

Maddie Melnick ’12 and Anya Rosen ’12, co-presidents of the Global Friendship club, came up with the idea of Candygrams last year. They were inspired by the well-known movie, Mean Girls, and decided to use Candygrams as a fundraiser to raise money for Save the Children.

“It’s sometimes difficult for clubs to think of innovative ways to raise money,” said Melnick. “In comparison to other projects we have done, such as bake sales and bracelet sales, Candygrams is by far the most successful.” Last year, the club raised around $2,000. This year, the club raised over $3,000.

A Global Friendship member, Zoey Altis ’14, says that the reason for its success is the general appeal of Candygrams. “It’s an inexpensive charity to contribute to, so if you want to give presents to multiple people, it’s not as expensive as going out and getting individual gifts,” she said. “Plus, the idea is from Mean Girls, so many students think it’s cool and want to participate.”

According to both Melnick and Rosen, the process of Candygrams has not changed that much from last year. During all three lunch waves, students have the opportunity to place their orders for Candygrams. In exchange for $5, students are given four cards to write down the name of the receiver, the receiver’s period three room number, and the name of the sender. Later on, members of the Global Friendship club will attach the cards onto candy canes.

However, this year there is one strict adjustment that the co-presidents made to ensure efficiency.

“One of the weaknesses last year was that we did not require everyone to write down the room number of the recipient,” said Melnick. “This made it difficult for us to sort through the Candygrams, because we had to inbox people on Facebook, ask their friends, and ask Ms. Addicks for the classes of many students.” With the new rule in place, Melnick predicts that sorting through Candygrams will be much less time consuming for the club.

Other than that, the club plans on continuing the Candygram tradition of personally delivering each candy cane wearing festive holiday accessories, such as Santa hats or reindeer antlers.

On Wednesday, Dec. 21 during period three, many students will receive a happy surprise.

“We enjoy the fact that Candygrams not only raise a large amount of money for Save the Children, but also brings the Staples community together around the holiday season,” said Rosen.

 

 

 

Leave a Comment
More to Discover
About the Contributor
Sami Bautista, Web Sports Editor
While most Inklings staff members are spending time on their newest articles, Sami Bautista is busy being the captain of the lacrosse team--as well as writing her next article. How does she do it? She should take up a new sport: juggling. Although Bautista’s passion for sports, such as lacrosse and field hockey, continues to burn bright, she just couldn’t resist being a part of the paper.  Last year, she held the web features editor position, and this year Captain Sami will take on the roll of being the staff’s newest web sports editor. Bautista is ecstatic to take on her new paper position, as it will allow her to write about all aspects of sports. She feels as if it will give her the ability to bond her two interests together. Her articles will include game scores, statistics and news throughout the seasons. “Even though the practices for lacrosse are so hard each day, the feelings you get after winning a game makes it all pay off. I also feel the same way when I finish the article I have been writing,” said Bautista ‘13. Bautista’s ability to remain dedicated to both of her school activities proves that it really is possible to be an all-rounder. There’s only one thing left to say: aye aye, captain.

Comments (0)

All Inklings News Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *