Hot Chocolicious teams raise $12,000 for area nonprofits

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  • (THOMAS WALLNER | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Members of Coco Candy Canes pose for a photo with a member of their benefiting nonprofit Our Daily Bread. Team members are Reagan Figg, McKenna Bussey, Kynlee Besack, Bailey Kilpatrick, Kaitlyn Leach, Hattie Stephens, Harper Shaffer, Maddox Shaffer, Harper Hampton and Emmalyn Atkins.
    (THOMAS WALLNER | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Members of Coco Candy Canes pose for a photo with a member of their benefiting nonprofit Our Daily Bread. Team members are Reagan Figg, McKenna Bussey, Kynlee Besack, Bailey Kilpatrick, Kaitlyn Leach, Hattie Stephens, Harper Shaffer, Maddox Shaffer, Harper Hampton and Emmalyn Atkins.
  • (THOMAS WALLNER | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Members of Cocoa Cabin pose for a photo with members of their benefiting nonprofit the Library of Graham. Team members are Jordan Cotton, Branden Cotton, Eli Dixon, Jacob Huerta, Marcus Monrreal, Witten Taylor and Austin Tamplen.
    (THOMAS WALLNER | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Members of Cocoa Cabin pose for a photo with members of their benefiting nonprofit the Library of Graham. Team members are Jordan Cotton, Branden Cotton, Eli Dixon, Jacob Huerta, Marcus Monrreal, Witten Taylor and Austin Tamplen.
  • (THOMAS WALLNER | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Members of Cocoa Cuties pose with members of their nonprofit The Rock. Team members are Davee Campbell, Airianna Hogue, Melanie Huerta, Marley Kincaid, Charlie Grace Edwards, Rhema Frank, Mackenzie Hufstedler and Ariela Ramirez.
    (THOMAS WALLNER | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Members of Cocoa Cuties pose with members of their nonprofit The Rock. Team members are Davee Campbell, Airianna Hogue, Melanie Huerta, Marley Kincaid, Charlie Grace Edwards, Rhema Frank, Mackenzie Hufstedler and Ariela Ramirez.
  • (THOMAS WALLNER | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Members of The Little Grinches Cocoa Shop pose with members of their benefiting nonprofit HERO House. Team members are Miles Elliott, Jesse Ramos, Jace Roberts, Dax Duensing, Everett Riley, Logan Cox, Josiah Taylor and Easton Budarf.
    (THOMAS WALLNER | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Members of The Little Grinches Cocoa Shop pose with members of their benefiting nonprofit HERO House. Team members are Miles Elliott, Jesse Ramos, Jace Roberts, Dax Duensing, Everett Riley, Logan Cox, Josiah Taylor and Easton Budarf.
  • (TRACEY TERASAS | CONTRIBTUED PHOTO) Members of The 5 Reindeers pose for a photo after the announcement of the results from the Hot Chocolicious competition. Team members are Carrie Ann Collins, Hailey Teall, Sofia Barrios, Dayana Ibarra and Jayden Wooldridge.
    (TRACEY TERASAS | CONTRIBTUED PHOTO) Members of The 5 Reindeers pose for a photo after the announcement of the results from the Hot Chocolicious competition. Team members are Carrie Ann Collins, Hailey Teall, Sofia Barrios, Dayana Ibarra and Jayden Wooldridge.
Thomas Wallner
 
editor@grahamleader.com

Five teams of Graham Junior High School students raised funding for area nonprofits while building life skills through the Graham Chamber of Commerce’s Hot Chocolicious program. 

The hot chocolate competition draws in teams from the GJHS Builders Club to plan and build their own hot chocolate business from scratch. 

“It’s teaching them how to be entrepreneurs and all the steps of marketing, branding, promoting your business, working a budget, getting a loan and paying a loan back,” Chamber of Commerce CEO Cathy Partridge said in a previous interview. “I don’t know of any other experience that’s like that.”

The teams develop a business plan for their projects with an aim to educate them about revenue and expenses, marketing, design and investing. 

“The teams select a local nonprofit and all of their proceeds go to that nonprofit,” Partridge said. “They’re learning how to work on someone else’s behalf and not just to benefit themselves, and they take great pride in that.”

Last year, only two teams of eight participated in the competition while this year five teams with a total of 38 students participated. 

“This group of sixth graders is going above and beyond any class we’ve ever had. They are going door to door to businesses asking for sponsorships, which is amazing, because all that they make from their booth go to a selected nonprofit,” Partridge said before the event.

All five teams raised a total of $12,309.40 during the event this year held alongside the annual Christmas stroll Thursday, Dec. 4 on the Graham downtown square.

“From the bottom of our hearts, I want to thank the teams, the parents and the school district. We couldn’t do it without all of you,” Partridge said. 

Hot Chocolicious Teams

Cocoa Cabin
• Team Members - Jordan Cotton, Branden Cotton, Eli Dixon, Jacob Huerta, Marcus Monrreal, Witten Taylor, Austin Tamplen
• Benefiting Nonprofit - Library of Graham 
• Award - Marketing and Branding
• Total Raised - $1,520

The 5 Reindeers
• Team Members - Carrie Ann Collins, Hailey Teall, Sofia Barrios, Dayana Ibarra, Jayden Wooldridge
• Benefiting Nonprofit - Remembering Wyatt Dale Water Safety
• Award - Product and Packaging
• Total Raised - $445

The Little Grinches Cocoa Shop
• Team Members - Miles Elliott, Jesse Ramos, Jace Roberts, Dax Duensing, Everett Riley, Logan Cox, Josiah Taylor, Easton Budarf
• Benefiting Nonprofit - HERO House
• Award - Business Plan and Accounting
• Total Raised - $1,551

Cocoa Cuties
• Team Members - Davee Campbell, Airianna Hogue, Melanie Huerta, Marley Kincaid, Charlie Grace Edwards, Rhema Frank, Mackenzie Hufstedler, Ariela Ramirez
• Benefiting Nonprofit - The Rock
• Award - Team Cooperation and Spirit
• Total Raised - $2,259

Coco Candy Canes
• Team Members - Reagan Figg, McKenna Bussey, Kynlee Besack, Bailey Kilpatrick, Kaitlyn Leach, Hattie Stephens, Harper Shaffer, Maddox Shaffer, Harper Hampton, Emmalyn Atkins
• Benefiting Nonprofit - Our Daily Bread
• Award - Most Profitable
• Total Raised - $6,534.40

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