The OHS debate team and African-American History club have joined forces to wish the seniors a sweet goodbye and raise money for an upcoming debate trip. 

Members of both clubs will be selling bags of Hershey kisses to all students, OHS faculty members and parents.  Anyone who makes a purchase will get to send that bag of chocolates to a graduating senior as a gift. 

The bags cost $2 each, contain 12 hershey kisses (one for each year of the senior’s schooling), and will include a note for the senior. 

Debate advisor Barbara Lowe and African-American History club sponsor Susan Kelly first got the idea for the fundraiser from Pinterest and hope that it will work at OHS.

“This is our first year trying the fundraiser, so we are really just trying to raise awareness of it and to get as many people to buy as possible.” Kelly said.

The fundraiser will take place May 2 through May 6.  Members of the debate team and African-American club will be selling them in the commons before school as well as during all three lunches.  The sweets will be delivered to the seniors on May 12.

Funds raised will go towards travel expenses for the debate team when they compete in the Grand National Catholic Forensic League Tournament in Sacramento, California.  Lowe also hopes the team will be able to raise enough money to have extra funding for next year.

OHS junior Battle Crews, a member of the debate team, will be selling the bags of chocolates for the fundraiser.  He, along with sophomores Luke Kelly and Joanna Bu, and juniors Nitin Ankisetty and William Solomon, qualified for the national tournament. Crews is excited for the national competition and hopes the fundraiser is successful.”

“It will be an amazing experience to be able to debate on a national level,” he said. “I am most excited to meet new debaters from across the country and represent our school.”

Lowe encourages students, parents, and teachers to buy, and thinks that the fundraiser will be beneficial for more than just the debate team.

“We have never had a fundraiser like this at OHS,” she said, “but I think it is a great way to show show appreciation and love for all of the wonderful graduating seniors.”