FUNDRAISING FOR TRIP — Buckeye Local High School students in Luke Fabry’s Foods 2 class are raising money to return to Disney World Epcot in Orlando, Fla., this April. Students will compete in the annual Cook Around the World Competition. Sixteen students are planning to attend the event. Last year’s team scored fourth with a side dish. Cookies, personalized cups and other items are being sold to raise funds for the trip. Those taking part in some of the fundraisers include, from left, Allie Emfield, Brennin Takach and Sydney Snyder. -- Contributed

CONNORVILLE — Sixteen students in Luke Fabry’s Foods 2 class at Buckeye Local High School have been selling cookies, personalized cups and other homemade items for their return trip to Disney World Epcot in Orlando this spring.

The students are fundraising to compete in a world-wide challenge Cook Around the World Competition, scheduled to take place April 25-28.

Last year, eight students attended the event. It was the first time the school was represented in the cooking competition, with Fabry stating his class ranked “an impressive fourth place in a side dish contest.”

Cook Around the World gives high schoolers an opportunity to compete in a hands-on culinary experience, attend a leadership seminar and have fun enjoying the parks and amenities.

It also provides for the chance to hear from top chefs and representatives from top colleges and universities about careers in the culinary and hospitality fields. As part of the competition, students select a random envelope featuring a culture on which to base their dish, as well as a protein and ingredients to create a meal for judging.

Fabry said last year’s team made an Asian pork stir fry dish, performing well for their first time.

“They made a Vietnamese strawberry salad that earned fourth place out of 20 teams from around the world,” Fabry said. “There were culinary classes and career-tech schools there and we were one of only three public schools.”

He hopes his students will get the chance to experience it all again.

Students have been raising funds since the beginning of the school year.

So far, they have earned approximately $12,000 for their efforts.

They have sold personalized cups for teachers, with the artwork done by senior Sydney Snyder. They have sold pulled-pork meals, homemade pumpkin rolls and Panther Bites cookies in the flavors of chocolate chip, sugar cookie, Midnight Sky and snickerdoodles.

They plan to hold a January fundraiser in which they will sell soups to those at the school.

“We opened up a café to sell coffee, hot cocoa, Panther Bite cookies and pastries,” Fabry said. “Students can order online and we’ll deliver them to their classes. We want to hold another soup benefit and will have five different soups to sell for $5, plus desserts.”

The personalized cups are being offered for $20, pumpkin rolls are sold for $10 each and boxes of cookies are available for $20.

The cookies are being sold on the Buckeye Local Café Culinary Parents Club’s Facebook page.

Career-tech classes are working together to sell school earrings and pins to earn extra money, as well.

Fabry hopes to have students compete in other events, as these opportunities provide something fun they can look forward to, he said.

Senior Brennin Takach took part in last year’s competition and said it was a great experience.

“It was fantastic,” he responded. “I loved the experience we had there. It was my first time at Disney World and I got to see everyone else’s food and meet people from different countries.”

Anyone interested in donating to students, can make a check payable to the Buckeye Local School District, in care of Luke Fabry, and mail to: Buckeye Local High School, 10692 state Route 150, Rayland, OH 43943.