PES students raise money, sell chocolate
Pinehurst Elementary School, World's Finest Chocolate winners, winning one-pound chocolate bars were kindergartener Avary Marcuerquiga, first grader Tayzlee Stradling, second grader Kayden Latimer, third grader Payson Scheel, fourth grader Landinn Thompson, fifth grader Barrett Munoz, and the overall winner, winning a 5-pound chocolate bar, kindergartener Karter Martin.
Photo by MOLLY ROBERTS
PINEHURST — Some of us need extra comfort as the snow falls well into March in the Silver Valley — and for some, that comfort comes in the form of chocolate.
Over the past month, Pinehurst Elementary School (PES) students held a spring fundraiser with World’s Finest Chocolate, raising money for new playground equipment.
“The money goes back to the school,” said PES Secretary Kayla Ross-Marang. “We are working to save up enough money to get new playground equipment. Our grand total was around $19,719 and we get around 40% of the money back.”
Students throughout the school competed to see who could sell the most chocolate, as the winner also received a 5-pound chocolate bar and a party for their class.
The winner was Karter Martin, who sold more than $1,000 in chocolate. Martin experiences her own struggles, which gave her even more motivation to win the contest.
Karter, a kindergartener at PES, was diagnosed with COVID-19 about a year ago, which kicked off many other health issues, causing her to be hospitalized multiple times afterward.
“After having COVID about a year ago, she developed a lot of other health issues,” said Karter’s mom Karleigh Martin. “She developed MIS-C (multisystem inflammatory syndrome) and has also ended up with junior arthritis, she’s immunosuppressant, has dislocated her arm twice. She’s just chronically in the hospital.”
Karleigh went on to explain that although Karter wants to play sports, she isn’t able to due to her health issues, so she put all her motivation into the competition of selling chocolate bars for her school.
“She went all out, with gift bags, stickers with her face on it, she really just went headfirst into it.”
The World’s Finest Chocolate grade-level winners with the items sold and money earned are as follows:
• Kindergarten — Avary Marcuerquiaga, 71 items sold, $522 earned
• First — Tayzlee Stradling, 80 items sold, $585 earned
• Second — Kayden Latimer 72 items sold, $525 earned
• Third — Payson Scheel, 69 items, $509 earned
• Fourth — Landinn Thompson 71 items sold $518 earned
• 5th — Barrett Munoz 46 items sold $338 earned
• Overall — Karter Martin 146 items sold $1,073 earned
If you want to donate directly to the school for new playground equipment, call PES at 208-682-2193 for more information.