Student council recently partnered with Double Good Fundraising to do a gourmet popcorn fundraiser, with 50% of proceeds going towards COVID-19 relief. The fundraiser lasted from April 15 at 5 p.m. through April 19 at 5 p.m. During this time, they sold more than $12,000 worth of popcorn and were able to donate $6,126.50 to AMITA Health and Beacon Place Community Center.

The club started planning this fundraiser when they were approached by Double Good Fundraising back in January, club advisor Peter Geddeis said. While they had originally intended for the proceeds to help fund a leadership retreat and cover other student council expenses, club officers instead decided to fundraise for COVID-19 relief as the pandemic continued to affect more and more lives.

“It feels good just knowing that we are doing something,” club president Macy Seigfried ‘20 said. “Especially because for the past month, we have been so powerless.”

The club decided on which organizations to donate to during a Zoom meeting on April 15. Members, such as club treasurer Taylor Schullo ‘21, had researched different possibilities, Seigfried said. Through a vote, they decided on AMITA Health and Beacon Place Community Center.

AMITA Health runs LaGrange, Hinsdale and other Chicagoland Hospitals and is in need of donations to help support the recent influx of patients, Geddeis said. Beacon Community Center in Lake County helps low-income families and is in need of donations to help support them during this time.

“It feels really good to know that I’m helping our community in these hard times because there have been cases around the area, and it’s important to help,” south campus vice president Bella Thorpe ‘22 said. “I’m glad I could be part of the fundraiser.”

The fundraiser was held entirely online. Members spread the word about the event through emails and different social media platforms. The sale of the popcorn was done through pop-up stores on the Double Good Fundraising website. There were over a dozen different popcorn flavors to choose from, ranging from a spicy “Holla-Peño” mix to a sweet “Waddle You Do For Cookies?” mix.

“We were hoping the easy access link and our outreach would make for amazing sales,” Siegfried said.