The Bailly Elementary Sweet Treat Factory this year will make and sell roughly 3,000 chocolate-covered pretzels. The pretzels will be made by 93 second graders. The fundraiser provides hands-on learning about how a business runs from start to finish. Each child submits a job application, works a job, advertises and fills orders. This positive learning experience promotes teamwork, pride and commitment to helping others.
Proceeds from the experience go to support a local nonprofit. United Way Reading Buddies program was chosen this year to give back to something that the Bailly students had a connection to. All Bailly children receive a reading buddy when in second grade. While promoting the fundraiser at the school, many of the older students stated they still have their reading buddy at home.
United Way Reading Buddies are stuffed animals given to first and second grade students to help motivate them to read to improve literacy skills. Annually, the program provides almost 4,000 stuffed animals to classrooms across Northwest Indiana.