Cassville FCCLA to send members to National competition through fundraisers
June 12, 2019
Vinnie Roberts
Hard work and determination are the pinnacles of all extra-curricular activities. Nowhere has that been more true this school year than with the Cassville Family Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA). The club recently swept the annual state conference, held March 16-19 in Lake of the Ozarks, with 11 of their members qualifying to compete at the national level.
In order to do this, members of the club competed in various events, usually involving the production and presentation of a project of some kind. Students were graded by judges on an event-specific rubric, with those scoring above a 90 receiving a gold medal for their event. The top two scorers from that event were then invited to compete in the national competition.
The 11 students that qualified for nationals from Cassville are: Jordyn Stafford and Josie Guevara, chapter service project display; Emilee Mann, Brody Barbee and Lily Love, chapter in review display; Alyzea Myers, nutrition and wellness; Lexi Yockey and Samantha Sparkman, focus on children; Mary Hayse and Dalia Phelps, digital stories for change; and Zach Acheson, State Vice President of STAR Events.
These students will go on to travel to and compete in the FCCLA National Leadership Conference in Anaheim, California, from June 30 to July 4.
“I told the students to start brainstorming ideas while I figured up how much the overall cost would be and talk to our administrators about it,” said Samantha Cosper, Cassville FCCLA adviser.
Before that competition could become a reality for those students, there was the small matter of the cost. In order to take 11 students to California, the estimated cost of airfare, hotels and food totaled just under $28,000, according to Cosper.
“I took that number our administration, because historically, the school district has always paid half,” said Cosper. “The district is putting forth a huge chunk to support us, but that left us with about a $16,000 fundraising goal. Basically each kid would have to be responsible for about $1,600.”
One of the first major fundraising efforts put forth by the team was a kid’s cooking class that was provided once a week for every week in April. This class saw the FCCLA students teaching primary and elementary students how to cook traditional pizza as well as fruit pizza with a sugar cookie crust.
The Cassville FCCLA also raised money by providing a day of lunch delivery for local businesses.
“That’s always been our traditional fundraiser for nationals. Businesses plug in their orders and we deliver it to them,” said Cosper. “We’re basically Uber Eats for a day.”
Fundraising efforts also included profits from the annual Cassville Daddy Daughter Dance, profits generated from FCCLA candy bar sales, impromptu car washes and raffle tickets. FCCLA students also sold cookies at ball games and worked concessions in order to raise funds.
“We basically didn’t say ‘no’ to anything,” said Cosper.
According to Cosper, some fundraising money also came from private sellers of Pampered Chef cooking products and Yankee Candles, who allowed students to sell their products and donated their commission to the FCCLA’s competition fund.
One of the more monumental fundraising efforts put forward by the Cassville FCCLA was the sale and distribution of pre-made casseroles. These casseroles were made by Cosper and her students before being packed, frozen and distributed to patrons who had pre-ordered them.
Small casseroles cost patrons $10, while large orders cost $20. Casseroles came in a variety of flavors including: breakfast, Mexican chicken, chicken manicotti, and chicken spaghetti. According to Cosper, an estimated 150 casseroles were sold.
Fundraising efforts on the part of the FCCLA totaled $12,446.87, a respectable number, but still just short of their intended goal. According to Cosper, the FCCLA was able to meet their funding goal despite this, thanks to community support.
“We’ve had some local business donate,” said Cosper. “We’ve gotten about $2,700 in donations, and our regional (FCCLA chapter) donated $1,600 for the students to go.”
Cosper went on to explain that she hasn’t sought donations from businesses in several years, saying that she would rather her students work for the privilege of attending the national conference. With the larger than average sum for this year’s students, those donations were deemed necessary to seek out.
“They were very generous,” said Cosper. “They also ordered lunches and ordered casseroles.”
Cosper said that she is excited for her students, so much so that the announcement of all of their names nearly sent her into a panic.
“I’m really excited for them,” said Cosper. “I nearly had a panic attack [at state] when they were calling the names of everyone who qualified for nationals.”
Eleven students is the largest group that Cosper has ever taken to nationals, and to the best of her knowledge, the largest group Cassville has ever sent.
Cosper said that, more than competition, she hopes that the trip provides her students with valuable life experience.
“I’m super excited for them,” said Cosper. “Most of them have never flown. Most of them have never been outside of the Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma area before. When you take them out of their own community and they find success that they had to work for, the confidence that they get from that can transform their lives.”
The Cassville FCCLA will compete at the National FCCLA Leadership Conference in Anaheim, California from June 30 to July 4.
Vinnie Roberts
Hard work and determination are the pinnacles of all extra-curricular activities. Nowhere has that been more true this school year than with the Cassville Family Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA). The club recently swept the annual state conference, held March 16-19 in Lake of the Ozarks, with 11 of their members qualifying to compete at the national level.
In order to do this, members of the club competed in various events, usually involving the production and presentation of a project of some kind. Students were graded by judges on an event-specific rubric, with those scoring above a 90 receiving a gold medal for their event. The top two scorers from that event were then invited to compete in the national competition.
The 11 students that qualified for nationals from Cassville are: Jordyn Stafford and Josie Guevara, chapter service project display; Emilee Mann, Brody Barbee and Lily Love, chapter in review display; Alyzea Myers, nutrition and wellness; Lexi Yockey and Samantha Sparkman, focus on children; Mary Hayse and Dalia Phelps, digital stories for change; and Zach Acheson, State Vice President of STAR Events.
These students will go on to travel to and compete in the FCCLA National Leadership Conference in Anaheim, California, from June 30 to July 4.
“I told the students to start brainstorming ideas while I figured up how much the overall cost would be and talk to our administrators about it,” said Samantha Cosper, Cassville FCCLA adviser.
Before that competition could become a reality for those students, there was the small matter of the cost. In order to take 11 students to California, the estimated cost of airfare, hotels and food totaled just under $28,000, according to Cosper.
“I took that number our administration, because historically, the school district has always paid half,” said Cosper. “The district is putting forth a huge chunk to support us, but that left us with about a $16,000 fundraising goal. Basically each kid would have to be responsible for about $1,600.”
One of the first major fundraising efforts put forth by the team was a kid’s cooking class that was provided once a week for every week in April. This class saw the FCCLA students teaching primary and elementary students how to cook traditional pizza as well as fruit pizza with a sugar cookie crust.
The Cassville FCCLA also raised money by providing a day of lunch delivery for local businesses.
“That’s always been our traditional fundraiser for nationals. Businesses plug in their orders and we deliver it to them,” said Cosper. “We’re basically Uber Eats for a day.”
Fundraising efforts also included profits from the annual Cassville Daddy Daughter Dance, profits generated from FCCLA candy bar sales, impromptu car washes and raffle tickets. FCCLA students also sold cookies at ball games and worked concessions in order to raise funds.
“We basically didn’t say ‘no’ to anything,” said Cosper.
According to Cosper, some fundraising money also came from private sellers of Pampered Chef cooking products and Yankee Candles, who allowed students to sell their products and donated their commission to the FCCLA’s competition fund.
One of the more monumental fundraising efforts put forward by the Cassville FCCLA was the sale and distribution of pre-made casseroles. These casseroles were made by Cosper and her students before being packed, frozen and distributed to patrons who had pre-ordered them.
Small casseroles cost patrons $10, while large orders cost $20. Casseroles came in a variety of flavors including: breakfast, Mexican chicken, chicken manicotti, and chicken spaghetti. According to Cosper, an estimated 150 casseroles were sold.
Fundraising efforts on the part of the FCCLA totaled $12,446.87, a respectable number, but still just short of their intended goal. According to Cosper, the FCCLA was able to meet their funding goal despite this, thanks to community support.
“We’ve had some local business donate,” said Cosper. “We’ve gotten about $2,700 in donations, and our regional (FCCLA chapter) donated $1,600 for the students to go.”
Cosper went on to explain that she hasn’t sought donations from businesses in several years, saying that she would rather her students work for the privilege of attending the national conference. With the larger than average sum for this year’s students, those donations were deemed necessary to seek out.
“They were very generous,” said Cosper. “They also ordered lunches and ordered casseroles.”
Cosper said that she is excited for her students, so much so that the announcement of all of their names nearly sent her into a panic.
“I’m really excited for them,” said Cosper. “I nearly had a panic attack [at state] when they were calling the names of everyone who qualified for nationals.”
Eleven students is the largest group that Cosper has ever taken to nationals, and to the best of her knowledge, the largest group Cassville has ever sent.
Cosper said that, more than competition, she hopes that the trip provides her students with valuable life experience.
“I’m super excited for them,” said Cosper. “Most of them have never flown. Most of them have never been outside of the Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma area before. When you take them out of their own community and they find success that they had to work for, the confidence that they get from that can transform their lives.”
The Cassville FCCLA will compete at the National FCCLA Leadership Conference in Anaheim, California from June 30 to July 4.
