The Gila Herald
Your trusted source for news of the Gila Valley and more.
Contributed Article/Courtesy Bonnie Briscoe – DAR member
SAFFORD – Valentine’s Day is approaching rapidly, and the Gila Valley Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution is preparing for its annual “Strawberries for Scholarships and Student Awards” fundraiser.
Last year, the students in the Culinary Arts Department at Mount Graham High School were so successful in helping the DAR that they are back this year, creating plates of assorted chocolate-covered strawberries under the supervision of their teacher, Mrs. Sheila Pompeo.
Over the past nine years, the DAR chapter has offered these strawberries on Valentine’s Day. The significant change for this year is they will be ready for pickup two days before Valentine’s on Wednesday, Feb. 12, due to the school’s schedule.
In gearing up, the chapter is currently taking orders for their plates of freshly dipped, assorted chocolate-covered strawberries. The cutoff date for accepting orders is Feb. 5 at 6 p.m. DAR recommends texting or calling before the cutoff date in case supplies run out due to demand.
As in the past, the assorted topping will include the following: 1 Dark Chocolate, 1 White Chocolate, 1 Dark Chocolate coated with Pecans, 1 White Chocolate coated with Pecans, 1 White Chocolate with Milk Chocolate swizzles, and 1 Milk Chocolate with White Chocolate swizzles.
A dozen plates at $20 include two of each topping, and a half-dozen plates at $10 have one of each topping.
To place an order, text or call 928-432-5122 and provide your name, phone number, and desired plate size. Alternatively, you can contact someone in the DAR chapter to take your order.
In addition to helping with the strawberries, Mount Graham High School will be the pickup location as last year. Pickup is two days before Valentine’s Day (Feb. 12) from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. The school is east of the Safford Cemetery at 300 W. Discovery Park Blvd. in Safford. Look for the signs on the fence. Payment, in cash or check, is due at pickup.
The money from these sales goes toward scholarships for local high school students in Graham County who are dual-enrolled in general education classes at EAC and have submitted a winning essay in the chapter’s Patriotic Essay Contest. This fundraiser is booming yearly, and the DAR chapter offers four scholarships valued at $600, $500, $400, and $300 to help with tuition and books.
The funds also go toward student awards, giving a monetary gift of $50 in May to one senior from each of the seven high schools in Graham and Greenlee counties who the school chooses for the DAR Good Citizen Award.
With students submitting essays and high schools choosing good citizens, this has always encouraged the chapter to continue this Valentine’s Week tradition; “Strawberries for Scholarships and Student Awards!”
