To celebrate Valentine’s Day and spread joy to MHS students and staff, the MHS All Together (AO) Step Team hosted a bake sale.
Instead of hosting a traditional after school stand for people to purchase directly from, the team sent out a QR code that people could scan to pre-order baked goods. However, to be more fitting for the Valentine’s season, they were arranged into edible “treat bouquets.”
Each bouquet included not only flowers, but an assortment of homemade baked goods, including heart-shaped Rice Krispies treats, chocolate-covered pretzels and marshmallows, mini cakes, crochet hearts, and an optional custom note. There was also the option of sizing the bouquet to extra small ($5), small ($15), or large ($20).
A freshly assorted treats bouquet sold by the Step Team, complete not only with roses but homemade baked goods. Photo submitted by Ashley Benfield.
The bouquets were either picked up by the buyer or delivered to their intended recipients on February 14th during sixth period. Erikah Macharia, senior captain of the Step Team, believed that delivering them would not only “make it easier for recipients,” but also have the bouquets be “a cute surprise for those sending it to a friend or someone special.”
The treat bouquets proved successful in bringing some more Valentine's Day spirit to Malden High. Macharia expressed that she “loved this bake sale. The bouquets came out so pretty and fun to make.” She added that with the extensive love and support the team received from students and teachers, she hoped that this bake sale idea would “continue in the future.”
Senior Tyler Edmond, another member of the Step Team, added that he appreciated how this bake sale had a “creative twist that makes people want to buy. The bouquets… turned out beautifully.” This sentiment was shared with junior Ashley Benfield, who thought the bouquets were “beautiful and such a good handmade item to give to those you care about.”
For how the idea of the bake sale came to life, Macharia explained that the team was inspired by a previously hosted bake sale two years ago in which they made smaller bouquets, but wanted to make them “much more fancy and detailed” this year. With plenty of other bake sales hosted by clubs during the Valentine’s season, she emphasized that “we wanted to try something different that would stand out more.”
Making the bouquets was a collaborative effort, with three members taking on the responsibility. One of them, Benfield, was tasked with crocheting hearts. She believed it was “quite difficult at first,” since she had to complete several in a short amount of time. Still, “it was fun to do because I love crocheting,” she said.
Edmond also assisted with forming the bouquets, which were at first “challenging to shape but eventually got simpler with repetition.” After shaping them, the baked goods were added.
The team’s efforts were worthwhile as selling the bouquets not only helped people out on Valentine’s Day with gift-giving, but also the Step Team with raising money. Macharia explained that the proceeds are going toward “our outfits for this year's Junior Varieties that’s happening in March.”
With this bake sale’s success, the Step Team is ready to put on a visually striking performance for Junior Varieties.
