Cal High Students Making Cupcakes to Fight Malaria

Tessa DeVilbiss and Emily Jones were friends on a mission — to do good both close to home and far away. But how could two California High School students, truly make a difference and help others?

In August 2011, they came up with an idea to make cupcakes for a cause. Tessa shares, “We both love to bake and wanted to give back, so, we thought, why not combine the two?”

Together, they started a cupcake club. Tessa and Emily, both 16, are co-presidents. Sara Bilich is the vice president, Emma Von der Lieth is the treasurer, and the secretary is Sarah Augustnsky. Together with their love of baking and desire to make change for the better, in their community and farther away, the “Cupcake Club” sprouted. 

The first mission of this duo and their friends was to bake 130 cupcakes for a homeless shelter in Bay Point, just in time for Thanksgiving. In December, they supervised, organized, and made more than 600 cupcakes for Cal High’s sister school, Wilson Elementary, in Richmond.

In a little over a week, the “Cupcake Club” will begin their first endeavor selling their cupcakes to raise money for a charity voted on by club members. Members of the club voted on a charity, and have chosen to support an organization called World Vision for their “End Malaria” campaign. The club is hoping to raise $200 for this worthy charity. To learn more about this campaign, go here.

This will be a mobile event, where they deliver cupcakes to members of the community who pre-order them.  All of the money raised from this event, slated for Friday, Feb. 24 at 3 p.m., will go to fight malaria. Cupcakes will sell for $2 each or 3 for $5. They plan to set up shop in St. Pierre Court  between Cal High and Athan Downs Park.  

Of course, these cupcakes aren’t just your average cupcakes. Members of the cupcake club include gifted artists and budding decorators. One member, Marli Carlson, is great at icing cupcakes. She even created an adorable frosting polar bear for the children at Wilson Elementary in December.

Tessa adds, “Baking cupcakes, in this way, is much more fulfilling than simply donating money, because I know that I spent time specifically dedicated to helping brighten someone's day with a sweet snack, or, as will be in our cupcake sales, to selling to people who will in turn also feel good about themselves for giving back. I am able to be creative and make a contribution to a group of people, or charity, in need, which is lovely!”

Want to help the “Cupcake Club” in their mobile event on Feb. 24?  Contacttdevilbiss1@aol.com to place an order and schedule delivery or via Twitter @chscupcakes. Better yet, stop by La Pierre Court on Feb. 24 at 3 p.m. and support this endeavor, as you help others triumph over tragedy to make the world a better place.