Jenna Abdelhamid

Junior Grade Leaders distribute Candy Grams to Townsend Harris students.

On February 14, sophomore Beyonce Boahen felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. She turned to find her friend holding a small, decorated bag with her name carefully written on the tag. She unwrapped the surprise: a heartfelt note, a handful of candy, and a delicate chocolate flower. It was a simple gesture, yet it carried the warmth of friendship and the joy of being remembered.

“Receiving the Candy Gram…brought light to my day, and I even enjoyed the delicious chocolates inside,” Beyonce said.

Moments like these define the Candy Grams tradition, an annual Valentine’s Day event. Organized by the Junior Grade Leaders, the event allows students to send personalized goodie bags—filled with flowers, candy, and heartfelt messages—to friends, classmates, and teachers. In addition, the Junior Grade Leaders also prepared notes and candy for every student, whether or not someone bought them one during the fundraiser. 

In an email letting teachers know that Candy Grams would be distributed to all students during band 2, the team said “We have been working very hard to prepare over 1000+ notes. The main goal of this initiative is for everyone to feel special and loved on this special day.”

For those wanting to buy a special Candy Gram for an individual, the process is simple: orders are placed through Junior Grade Leaders using a Google Form, where buyers can customize their Candy Gram with chocolates, gifts, and personalized messages.

Two package options are available, one featuring a chocolate flower and another without. The goodie bags can also include a photo of the recipient (if requested), a message, and a selection of candies. Once orders are submitted and assembled, buyers can either pick up their Candy Gram the day before Valentine’s Day or have it personally delivered by a Grade Leader on the holiday itself.

Sophomore Rebecca Castrillon said that the ability to customize messages made the experience more meaningful.

“It wasn’t just a generic thing. You could make it special for each person,” she said. “It was really great to see how I could give it to my friends exactly how I wanted with a special message.” 

Co-Freshman-Sophomore Class President Aki Benjamin said the initiative as a whole helped foster inclusivity within the student body.

“The Candy Grams contributed to community and inclusivity by really allowing for a huge number of different opportunities for students,” Aki said. 

The sale serves as a fundraiser for the class of 2026 to help with prices for trips and other events, according to Junior Class President Jenna Abdelhamid.

Junior Grade Leaders worked behind the scenes to ensure the success of the sale.

“They made sure to order all the supplies in advance and designate specific days to package all the paid orders,” said Jenna. “It was important to stay organized so that every Candy Gram was assembled correctly and ready on time.”

Looking ahead, Jenna plans for Candy Grams to become a THHS Valentine’s Day staple with soon-to-come new goodies, as well as training the next generation of grade leaders to take on the hosting of the event.

“We will most likely be keeping the same systems but maybe adding some new bundle options to ensure variety each year,” she explained. “From there, we’d pass the torch to the next grade leaders to keep the Candy Gram tradition alive.”