This Valentine’s Day, both singles and couples were able to enjoy heartwarming grams, thanks to Heartskate’s first annual Valentine’s Grams sale on the top of the quad steps. The sale was from Jan. 1 to Feb. 10.

In addition to spreading the love throughout Valentine’s week, the sale was also an effort to raise funds for the Heartskate club itself and the Global Ischemia Foundation, an organization dedicated in research of ischemic accidents, an instance where the brain is deprived of necessary oxygen and nutrients to its tissues and cells. One hundred seventy grams were distributed during fifth period on Feb. 11.

Juniors Sophia Wang and Courtney Hsu were behind all of the Valentine’s grams magic. Every day of the sale, Wang and Hsu sat at a table, guiding students on how to send the grams.

Each 50-cent gram included a small image on one side ranging from a little bulldog to a smiling frog, the other side for a personal message to the recipient. Attached were pieces of chocolate.
The fundraiser raised a total of about $85, with the distribution for the funds designated for the Global Ischemia Foundation and Heartskate still undecided.

“I thought the Valentine’s Day grams sales went great because Heartskate was the only club to sell grams for Valentine’s Day,” said Wang.

Although the process was seemingly simple, there were only a few mild mishaps.

“The process was easy and efficient,” said Wang. “Many people who bought the grams didn’t know the fifth period of the person they were sending it to, so we had to find out ourselves.”
Another, perhaps less serious mishap included the misplacement of Sharpies on the table.

Heartskate’s first Valentine’s grams sale proved to be a good first start, promoting the Valentine spirit. Similar to the past years’ Holiday Grams, the Valentine’s grams sale was a positive experience for both senders and recipients.

“It went well because everyone likes to get Valentine’s grams because people want to give [grams],” said Hsu. “It can be for special someone, or just for a friend.”

Of the many Valentine’s gram senders, sophomore Cynthia Chen noted that the grams “were a cute way to spend Valentine’s Day.”

“It was really fun to send grams,” said Chen. ”Even a simple message like ‘have a good day’ on the gram can make that person’s day special.”