Canton kids sell ‘cupcakes for a cause’

Cupcake sales team: Padraic, PJ, Eliza and Bridget

The image of kids in summer evokes carefree, lazy days and nonstop fun, but as a group of St. John’s students in the Green Street neighborhood of Canton recently proved, summer can also be a time to make use of one’s talents and help make a difference for those in need.

For best friends Eliza Donahue and Bridget Carroll, that was the impetus behind “Cupcakes for a Cause,” a remarkable little summer project that ended up raising nearly $500 for two local women with medical emergencies.

It started with a suggestion by Bridget to have a lemonade stand in honor of 22-year-old Walpole resident Ally Smith, a family friend who remains in a coma following a serious car accident last December. Eliza then suggested selling cupcakes as well, since both girls “love to bake,” and they both agreed to donate half of the proceeds to Mrs. K., their sixth grade homeroom and social studies teacher who was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

“She is always looking out for us, helping us and caring for us, and we wanted to do the same,” said Eliza of Mrs. K.

So the two girls, both 12, along with Eliza’s younger brother PJ, 10, set up a table at the end of Bridget’s driveway, and every Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. they sold cupcakes and lemonade to neighbors and passersby. They also posted a sign on the front of the table with an important reminder: “Life is short … Eat more cupcakes.”

In addition to word-of-mouth promotions, the group handed out flyers and asked people to post them in their offices. They even benefited from a bit of email marketing thanks to Maureen Palermo, who forwarded a message about the sale to her colleagues at Computershare.

Sales were admittedly slow at first, with the group taking in a total of $15 after the first week. But their persistence paid off, and by the end of the summer they had earned an impressive $452.

On a couple of occasions, the trio were joined by friends Padraic and Maggie Curran of Walpole, and over the final two weeks of the summer, they experimented with a change of location, moving to the corner of Royall and Green streets for added exposure.

They actually ran out of cupcakes on the last week, so Bridget made a batch of cookies and “cake pops,” which are chocolate-dipped cake pieces on a stick.

Overall, the response to their efforts was “great,” according to Eliza.

“People were very generous,” she said. “Sometimes we would get discouraged because people didn’t have any money with them or didn’t respond when we asked them, but many people gave all they had and a couple people went above and beyond with their donations.”

On two occasions they were given a $50 bill, and much to their amazement, were told to keep the change.

“One person who did this worked for Caruso Landscaping and drove away before we realized what he had donated,” recalled Eliza. “The other lady, who didn’t tell us her name, said it was not a gift from her, but a gift from God — and we are very appreciative.”

Besides raising much-needed funds for two people who are dear to their hearts, Eliza said the group learned several valuable lessons from their summer service project.

“First of all,” she said, “I learned a lot of new cupcake recipes — homemade white, chocolate and red velvet — and that you should always remember to put the timer on when you are baking something. Also, we learned that every cent counts, because the little things add up.”

Most importantly, said Eliza, they learned to “never give up.”

“Even if you think you’re not making a difference, once again, every cent counts. And whatever you donate, they will really appreciate it.”

To read more about Ally’s story or to make a donation, go to www.alexandrasmithfoundation.org.

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Posted by Jay Turner on Sep 8 2011. Filed under Features. Both comments and pings are currently closed.