In order to raise money for National Honors Society (NHS) senior scholarships, members of NHS began their annual selling of chocolate bars. The more money that is raised, the more can be given to seniors who apply for scholarships. Each box of chocolate contains an array of different flavors, and the bars only cost $1 each.

Members are required to sell two boxes, or 120 bars, of chocolate each, which will go towards their required volunteer hours. If they sell more than that, each box above the minimum counts as another volunteer hour. This fundraiser is an exciting way for NHS members to volunteer in the community and work towards helping their peers pay for college.

“I think it is a good way to get involved in the school community because through selling candy bars, I make a lot of connections and get loyal buyers,” senior Golden Kelly said. “I usually try to market towards teachers and underclassmen. I do a lot of selling during lunch because I don’t have any classes with freshmen and sophomores.”

The varieties of chocolate include almond, caramel, dark chocolate, wafer, crispy, and plain milk chocolate. Many customers develop a preference for a certain type of bar, and NHS members target these people whenever they have that flavor in stock.

The selling of chocolate bars has become a friendly competition between NHS members, as they see who can sell the most chocolate bars. Various NHS members scramble to reach their classes before others can sell chocolate first, and the top seller is rewarded with a gift card. Last year’s winner was senior Jordan Bakar, who sold a total of nine boxes, or 540 chocolate bars, in less than two weeks.

“I usually sell most of my chocolate during breaks such as passing periods and after school,” Bakar said. “Last year, it wasn’t too difficult to sell them. I found it to be very easy and decided why not continue selling more than the two boxes, as I had no reason to stop. This year is a bit more difficult with many others trying to beat me, but I’m about halfway from last year’s record.”

The chocolate bar fundraiser is a great way to generate profit for the NHS group. The NHS organization buys its chocolate in bulk from World’s Finest Chocolate which requires one to purchase a minimum of eight boxes priced at $36. With the chocolate bars costing only $1 each, selling a box of 60 bars almost doubles the money. Therefore, with each member being required to sell a minimum of two boxes worth of chocolate, the fundraiser provides ample profit that will go towards the scholarships. 

Members of NHS at Millard West are able to apply for these scholarships, and all money raised will be put towards them. The worth of these scholarships vary, and sponsors vote on who will receive them based on who applies for them.

“We began selling candy bars as a replacement for the school carnival,” NHS sponsor and speech pathologist Stacey Kozisek said. “We needed something less labor intensive that also provided more income.  It seems that everyone has a dollar and who doesn’t love chocolate? It is also a great way for the members to interact with the community both inside the school and out.”

This tradition has become a staple at Millard West, with students and teachers looking forward to buying the sugary snacks every year. The friendly competition and connections made throughout the school also provide fun volunteer hours for NHS members. With the valuable life skills learned through the experience and the large profit generated for scholarships for NHS seniors, the chocolate fundraiser is sure to stick around for a while.