Baker middle schoolers turn hobbies into profits at Market Day
Published 7:32 pm Thursday, April 17, 2025
Avery Ellis, an eighth grader at Baker Middle School, sold baked goods and coffee drinks at Market Day on April 17, 2025. She said her profits would fund a trip to the FBLA national conference this summer. (Lisa Britton/Baker City Herald)
Eighth grader Avery Martin said this crochet cactus took six hours to make for Market Day at Baker Middle School. She and Iris Young filled a table with crocheted items of all sizes and prices. (Lisa Britton/Baker City Herald)
Grace Radabah arranges her homemade jewelry before customers arrive to Market Day on April 17, 2025, at Baker Middle School. (Lisa Britton/Baker City Herald)
Bostyn Baxter, left, and Kohana Sanders served snow cones to long lines of customers on Market Day at Baker Middle School on April 17, 2025. (Lisa Britton/Baker City Herald)
Avery Ellis considered her potential customer base when she designed her menu for Market Day at Baker Middle School.
“I wanted something that would get the adults’ attention, like coffee,” she said, adding a squirt of whipped cream to an iced caramel macchiato drink.
And she figured her fellow students would be tempted by sweets, so she made cookies, cake pops and fancy cupcakes.
“Cupcakes and cookies — everybody is interested in that,” she said with a smile.
Ellis, an eighth grader at BMS, set up shop along with 20 other entrepreneurs on Thursday, April 17, for the school’s annual Market Day. Students shopped for the last 20 minutes of the school day, then the community arrived to visit the vendors.
Although organized by the leadership class, advisor Hannah Hensley said any student could sign up to sell goods.
“And the kids get to keep all their profit,” she said.
Ellis had a specific plan — she’s raising money for a trip to the FBLA national conference this summer, where she’ll compete in public speaking.
Numbers nearly double
Last year saw 12 vendors at Market Day. This year the number jumped to 21, and their wares included snow cones, crocheted items, artwork, jewelry, baked goods and Italian sodas.
“I tried to tell them to find something that makes them stand out,” Hensley said.
Members of the band set up instruments around a table full of sweet treats and played music for the event, which ran from 3-5 p.m. in the gym.
“They turned this into the band fundraiser,” Hensley said.
In one corner, the whir of crushing ice was nearly constant as seventh graders Bostyn Baxter and Kohana Sanders sold snow cones.
“Long lines. This is our first break,” Baxter said, taking the chance to clean up some of the sticky snow cone syrup before the next customer arrived.
In just about an hour, Iris Young and Avery Martin had made more than $200 by selling their crochet items that took many hours to create, especially the cactus and succulent plants.
“The plants took at least six hours,” Martin said.
Although they advertised beforehand to let students know prices would range from $1 to $30, the girls said most of their customers weren’t fellow classmates.
“Adults. They have more money,” Martin said with a smile.
