Asian Culture Club Holds Thai Tea Fundraiser

After a month of planning, the Asian Culture Club (ACC) hosted their second fundraiser of the year, selling thai tea. The event was hosted on Wednesday, March 20, outside the main office.

Thai tea is a traditional thai drink made from strongly brewed black tea sweetened with sugar and condensed milk. The popularity of boba in Malden is due to the presence of businesses such as Kung Fu Tea and Cha Time providing the exposure the club needed to generate a profit from this otherwise foreign beverage.

ACC planned the Thai Tea event by coming up with a list of various different ideas for a fundraiser, with an overwhelming vote for tea.

To prepare for the event, the ACC club advisers met once or twice a week, ensuring that it would run smoothly. MHS Latin teacher and ACC club adviser Julie Fox advertised the fundraiser on various platforms such as her instagram page and on posters that were displayed throughout the school.

Students and faculty purchased thai tea at $3 a cup and had the option of either boba or lychee in their drinks. This price was established because the ACC “wanted the tea to be affordable for students,” but still wanted to ensure that it was “cheaper than the tea shops across the street,” according to Fox. However, Fox pointed out that they wanted to make sure the price would still be able to cover the price of supplies and allow the club to still earn a profit.

The ACC purchased their supplies from various different restaurants in Malden and made the tea and boba fresh on the day of the fundraiser. Money raised from the event will be used to “fund more workshops and events later this year and next year,” Fox states.

Ultimately, Fox says the goal of the Thai Tea fundraiser was not only to raise money for future events, but also “for the school to enjoy some tea and boba” and to “share [a] little piece of Asian culture with the school.”

Earlier this year, the ACC hosted their second annual Spicy Noodle Challenge workshop in October. There were two levels of spice, either spicy or double spicy. Numerous students and teachers competed in the event in MHS teacher Kate Haskell’s room. There were about 20 participants with seats for people to watch the event. The winner of the challenge received a Dunkin’ Donuts gift card.

These are not the only events hosted by the ACC. With the Chinese Culture Connection (CCC), the two clubs partner up to host the Lunar New Year Festival every year.

In terms of future fundraisers, although the onset of spring sports could interfere with the club’s schedule, ACC still wants to plan for another event before the end of the year.