Elmwood Park DECA Chapter: Popcorn-fueled competitors!

"Because of his success selling popcorn in the spring, the track coach at our school suggested that my National Honor Society sell it in the fall.” 

Karen Bear, a vocational education teacher at Elmwood Park High School in Elmwood Park, IL, has served for more than five years as the fundraising coordinator for her school’s National Honor Society. She uses Popcorn Palace for the NHS fall fundraiser, which is the only fundraiser they hold all year, and it typically lasts 3-4 weeks.

“Because of his success selling popcorn in the spring, the track coach at our school suggested that my National Honor Society sell it in the fall,” Bear explains. “We raise enough money to pay for our banquet and our teacher appreciation activities.”

Bear said that she also added her DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) chapter to the fundraiser as we need a large sum of money each year for competitions. "We have State Competition every year and for the last 6 years, we have earned the right to go to International Competition.” 

“The popcorn fundraiser is one of our best options,” she continues. “The best incentive is that I put the profits directly into student accounts for them to use to offset their own competition costs. We have spread the word about Popcorn 

Palace to other chapters in the Chicago area.”

For more info about Elmwood Park High School and its organizations, visit www.epcusd401.org/ephs.