The week before the students of Tracy High were released for Thanksgiving Break, the Red Cross Club held their first fundraiser of the year, Baking for a Cause, on Nov. 19 and Nov. 21, resulting in a total of $506. This grand outcome is planned to fulfill the club’s overall goal of hosting an end of the year blood drive.
Club President Inika Ahmed stated that the funds will be put towards the blood drive that they want to host at the end of the year.
“I want to make sure that we have gifts or something that can really tempt donors to go through with the donations.” Ahmed explained in reference to the blood drive.
As the Red Cross Club is new to Tracy High, first impressions are very important as a new club on campus.
“This was a really good way to get more involved with the school and show that we’re a club willing to put in the work and make an impact at our school,” Ahmed said.
Students could constantly be seen approaching the table and purchasing from the array of items laid out.
“I didn’t expect to sell a lot of bracelets, I thought we would sell like twenty, but we almost sold out,” beamed Vice President Tejal Anandan.
She continued to paint the picture, saying that “there were a lot of people, it was kind of endless.”
Many club members, like Anandan, were positively surprised at the event’s turnout, creating enthusiasm for what the club’s future entails.
“It was so exciting because we didn’t expect that many people.” Anandan admitted.
Their success could be attributed to the members’ effort filled with dedication and hope for the Red Cross’s cause. Treasurer Bethany Knight gave behind the scenes insight as to what went into producing the fundraiser.
“At times, it was kind of challenging because I was trying to make different bracelets and get the baked goods, but I also had lots of homework and tests,” explained Knight
Their effort clearly paid off and was seen in the neat handiwork of the bracelets, as well as the organized layout of the table.
“It felt really good, especially because we were able to get so many donations,” began Knight. “It was really cool to see how many people actually cared to participate in our fundraiser.”
Not only did the club raise a decent building block foundation in money, but members also expressed that there was personal gain as the event gave them the chance to grow closer.
“It was pretty cool to get together with our group because we were able to connect just making bracelets for our fundraiser together,” Knight expressed.
For $4, students could pick from a variety of sweet store-bought treats, like cookies, cake-pops, cupcakes and as well as hand-made bracelets, which were all sold together.
The Red Cross Club came together to make these bracelets, having contributed their time, effort and personal funds as well because many supplied the treats.
President Ahmed, the heart of the Red Cross Club, expressed great feelings of content.
“I feel really proud of it,” she began. “I think it turned out really wonderful.”
