Senator Hassan Recognizes Gorham Middle & High School Sophomore Student Council as December’s Granite Staters of the Month

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan recognized the Gorham Middle & High School Sophomore Student Council as December’s Granite Staters of the Month for choosing to resell surplus chocolate that they received to benefit their school’s food pantry, rather than sell it to benefit their class.

This year, the Sophomore Student Council at Gorham Middle & High School sold chocolate as part of a fundraiser to raise money for their class. One of the participants of the fundraisers received far more chocolate than she had ordered, but was told she could not return it to the vendor due to safety concerns related to COVID-19.

In response, members of the Sophomore Student Council decided that rather than sell the extra chocolate to profit their class, they would use the additional funds to benefit their school’s food and supply pantry. After selling the chocolate at a reduced rate, the students successfully raised $200 for the pantry, which provides weekend meals, snacks, and school supplies to any student in need.

Senator Hassan launched the “Granite Stater of the Month” initiative in 2017 to recognize outstanding New Hampshire citizens who go above and beyond to help their neighbors and make their communities stronger. To nominate a New Hampshire citizen to be a “Granite Stater of the Month,” constituents can complete the nomination form here.

To read the statement that Senator Hassan will submit to the Congressional Record honoring the Gorham Middle & High School Sophomore Student Council as December’s Granite Staters of the Month, see below.

I am proud to recognize the Sophomore Student Council at Gorham Middle & High School as December’s Granite Staters of the Month. When a vendor accidentally sent extra chocolate as part of the Sophomore Student Council’s fundraiser, the students launched a new effort. Instead of reselling the surplus chocolate to benefit their class, they decided to sell the extra chocolate to benefit their school’s food pantry.

Like most events this year, the Sophomore Student Council modified a fundraiser that they would typically hold in-person to be an online event. One of the participants in the fundraiser, the aunt of Sophomore Student Council Representative Emma LaPierre, bought three boxes of chocolate to benefit her niece’s class.

However, instead of receiving the expected three boxes of chocolate, she received three entire cases of chocolate.

The vendor, World’s Finest Chocolate, was alerted to the mistake, but due to safety concerns around the COVID-19 pandemic, said that they could not take the chocolate back.

Emma, along with other members of the Sophomore Student Council, decided that rather than sell the extra chocolate to profit their class, they would use the additional funds to benefit their school’s food and supply pantry.

After selling the chocolate at a reduced rate, the students successfully raised $200 for the pantry, which provides weekend meals, snacks, and school supplies to any student in need.

Following the students’ efforts, a local paper published an article about the fundraiser, which inspired a couple in the community to send a $100 check to the school to benefit their food and supply pantry.

Emma and the other students in Gorham’s Sophomore Student Council exemplify the way that small acts of kindness can make a big difference in a community. Their selfless decision to raise money on behalf of a community-wide resource, rather than keep the funds for their class, helped to spur other acts of kindness in their community from which the whole school and community benefitted. I am honored to recognize their efforts, and proud that their efforts reflect the Granite State’s core value – the belief that individuals should step up when they see a problem – and that when they do, their actions have a ripple effect that strengthens the entire community. The Gorham Sophomore Student Council has done just that.

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