As of next year at LHS, bake sales will begin to be limited as a result of a nationally imposed law, the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act, passed in 2010.
The law, pushed by First Lady Michelle Obama, which will set nutrition standards for food and drink sold at public schools, took effect July 1. The act consequently includes “competitive foods,” according to The Washington Post, meaning vending machine snacks and bake sale goods are to be affected.
The ruling specifies for bake sales only to be “infrequent,” while after-school sales and athletic events are fair game. According to The Washington Post, “Illinois aims to shrink its current cap [of bake sales] of 36 to nine in the next three years,” although LHS is just now implementing changes.
Concerned senior Max Smith expressed that “[The bake sales] provide a lot of helpful use in WISH projects and they provide…tasty snacks.”
Activities Director Mrs. Jennifer Uliks was hesitant in commenting, sharing that the school is “working on the actual language and parameters right now,” but she declined to comment further.
Consequently, the limited bake sales would drastically affect the way in which the school fundraises for the annual WISH [Wildcats Initiative for Sharing in the Holidays] sale, forcing students and staff to create more creative ideas to better serve the community.
“This [bake sales] is how we make money and we work really hard…This is a way we get out issues that we want to get out in our club in a fun way without just us handing out pamphlets,” argued junior Julia Wilson at a GSA [gay-straight alliance] bake sale outside the cafeteria on May 15.
One idea Ms. Andrea Lara, a U.S. History teacher, expressed to make up for the lost bake sales is a school-wide garage sale, in which third-period WISH classes donate items to be sold to the community. The sale took place for the first time last October and provided potential for future success. Ms. Lara hopes to rely on football game traffic for Friday night advertising, and the event would be on a Saturday.
“Mrs. Uliks and I are super worried because that’s [bake sales] how we fundraise WISH,” stated Mrs. Lara.
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