He’s on Fire Hot Sauce started in 2021 as a project to help get service hours for school and get an introduction to starting a small business. ​Having the privilege of attending a school that understands the importance of giving back to our local community, I’ve had the freedom to choose how I can best support a different group of student athletes. I've been able to help fund a program they need to stay active and to learn many fundamental skills that will carry them through high school and beyond.

 

Our school's Service Coordinator has encouraged us to get involved with projects that push us to be creative, to work hard and to give back as much as we can. She encouraged me to start my own non-profit, He’s on Fire Hot Sauce, four years ago. This has given me the flexibility to “volunteer” on my own time while pushing me to develop the work ethic of a small business owner. Having this as my own has been such a great experience; from working with my mom to develop a logo and learn the business side of social media and marketing, to working with my dad to grow our own organic peppers and to create our own hot sauce recipe. I have purchased seeds and soil, prepped and watered our backyard garden, picked peppers, cooked and bottled the sauce and made sure it gets on the shelves at a local retail shop. Along the way, I’ve learned how to take and share photos on social media and a working website to get people excited about what we’re doing for the community. 

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We've donated $1000 from the sale of He’s on Fire Hot Sauce to the Boys and Girls Club of the Coastal Plains. This will help fund their Triple Play athletic program to hopefully give a few other student athletes an experience similar to what I’ve had. This program encourages healthy habits, good nutrition and physical fitness. Through their participation in physical activities like Basketball, it will help maintain these healthy habits, create friendships and opportunities they might not get if they didn’t participate. Knowing the possibility of what this sport can offer makes me work harder so I can share it with others. My goal is to donate an additional $500 by August 2025 through the sale of this hot sauce. 

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