Nearly 1,800 cupcakes were sold at the “Cosmo the Cougar Cupcake Mural” in the Wilkinson Student Center on Thursday, Nov. 20. Students bought the cupcakes to support the Valley United Against Hunger food drive.
BYU’s Student Alumni Association created the 2,100-cupcake mural and coordinated the event with Dining Services. Dining Services has helped create a giant maple bar or “cougar tail” as a fundraiser for the food drive in past years.
“I believe it was a tremendous success yesterday,” said Dean Wright, Head of Dining Services. “People were very interested and I was amazed at how many people went upstairs (on the balcony of the Wilkinson Center Terrace) to take pictures (of the cupcake mural).”
One cupcake cost $2, which could buy approximately 14 pounds of food. Wright said that cupcake sales generated $3,900, which would provide more than 27,000 pounds or 13 tons of food for the Provo Community Action Services food bank.
BYU Dining Services donated the ingredients and labor to make the treats for Thursday’s event. Blue and white frosted cupcakes with interior chocolate and caramel chips constituted the Cosmo-like mural in the Wilkinson Center.
Savannah Bassett, vice president of communications for BYU Student Alumni, said that some individuals were happy to donate money for the food drive without getting cupcakes in return. She said one donor purchased 20 cupcakes and asked that they be distributed to passing students.
Another donation came from a professor, who bought 40 cupcakes for her class.
Student Alumni Association President Brody Bushnell said that 40 volunteers, Dining Services and others on the Student Alumni Association made it possible to sell the cupcakes throughout the day.
Those who were not able to take part in the cupcake mural but want to donate to the food drive can donate here until Nov. 25.
