“I just wanted to have some fun with it,” 7-year-old William Benrud stated matter-of-factly.
It’s a casual answer for a 7-year-old who has accomplished a huge feat. William managed to sell popcorn to someone from every state in the United States and even Korea, Germany and England as part of his fundraiser for Boy Scout Pack 632.
Every year, Scouts from all over the country sell popcorn as an annual fundraiser to help them raise money for activities. Many of them ask their family and friends in their local circles, but William found that the power of social media could take him so much further.
His mom, Victoria Benrud, explained, “We encouraged him to do it on his own, but we used our social media platforms to help him. Since we’re not doing storefront sales in the community, this is our only fundraiser, and so much of the money does come back to the boys locally.”
So, William took it upon himself to make a video, and his parents shared it. Everyone was surprised when the video was viewed more than 6,500 times and shared over 150 times.
At one point, William even cracked the top 10 of all popcorn sales across all of Scouting.
When asked what he wants others to know about his success, he said, “I want people to support my Cub Scout career. I’ve learned to never give up on a challenge that you started. I want to tell everyone in the community to buy at least one bag of popcorn; if not from me, from another Scout.”
Pretty impressive for a second grader. Plus, he is going to make sure all the money goes back to his pack so they can have an amazing campout. As the top seller, he will earn himself a well-deserved hammock so he can take a break.
To all of the other Cub Scouts who may want to tackle some big goals, William said, “Just try your hardest and have fun.”
To order, visit www.trails-end.com/store/scout/R3N5JOO2. To view William’s video, visit www.facebook.com/victoria.benrud/videos/10223263031980358. If you order from him, they will send you a personalized thank-you message.
