A more recent Step Team tradition for Valentine’s Day is selling bouquets, each with a little twist: something edible is inside.
This year, along with an arrangement of forever roses, the team’s handmade bouquets contained various treats, including chocolate Rice Krispies, pretzels, and marshmallows. Customers could have these flowers and treats wrapped in traditional or Hello Kitty-themed wrapping paper. For an added touch of customization, they were also able to request a personal message to include with their bouquet.
Bouquets came in sizes medium (five roses with treats for $10) and large (ten roses with treats for $20).
The team started creating bouquets last year when MHS alumna and former Step Team captain Erikah Macharia, as well as senior captain Bertha Jean Louis, proposed the idea. “It was such a fun way for our team to raise money while also making something special for people to give to someone they care about!” exclaimed senior Olivia Ivy.
The bouquets continued to be a hit among MHS students and staff alike. By Valentine’s Day, they “had sold around 35 bouquets,” said senior Ashley Benfield.
Junior Taliyah Lauture attributed its success to “people being familiar with the sale, as the team also did the bouquet sale last year.” Even more importantly, many may “want a little bit more affordable alternative to usual bouquets, with treats and notes included!”
Behind the scenes, the team worked diligently to craft the bouquets and fulfill orders. Like last year, they began with a bake sale to “raise money to buy supplies,” Benfield explained. She continued, “We then started creating what we want to be put into the bouquets.”
Lauture stated that it was difficult “racing against time to acquire all of the materials to put the bouquets together.” Ivy added on, mentioning that “the process was a little tricky at times, especially keeping track of all the orders… but overall, we made it work.”
And so, on time for Valentine’s Day, members successfully delivered every bouquet to recipients throughout all four class periods. The proceeds from them will go towards funding costumes and accessories for the Step Team’s Junior Varieties (JVs) performance in the coming months.
With its great success this year and the last, the Valentine’s Day bouquet sale is sure to continue as one of the Step Team’s best holiday traditions.
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