 "Photo: Laura Rosser")
It’s a win-win situation as the Coffee X Spot partners with Wesleyan student organizations to sponsor fundraising events and donate the proceeds to student groups.
Donna Griffin and Veronica Ricard, co-owners of the Coffee X Spot, said they were looking for ways to expand their client base among the community when they were approached by a student group looking to host a fundraiser.
“A student with the Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority approached us and asked if we would be interested in partnering with them,” Ricard said.
Seeing it as a chance to increase their exposure to the local Wesleyan community, the duo became interested in the group’s proposal.
“The school is a great supporter of ours, and we depend upon the students, faculty and staff,” Griffin said. According to Griffin, the student suggested the idea of sponsoring the group’s fundraising event and 10 to15 percent of the proceeds made by the Coffee X Spot during the event would be donated to the group.
“We thought it was a good idea,” Griffin said. “That way we’re helping each other.
The system is designed to be very flexible. Student groups can request a date to host an event at the Coffee X Spot and negotiate the amount of time the group needs for the event.
“We’re open to working with the organizations however they want to do it,” Ricard said.
Student group events are often scheduled after hours, and she sends out a notice in her newsletter letting people know to come support the organization.
Griffin and Ricard have received requests to sponsor fundraisers for other organizations at Wesleyan and the surrounding community too.
“Right now we’re talking to another sorority at Wesleyan and a church group,” Griffin said.
Yuri Valenzuela, chapter orientation adviser for the Alpha Gamma Graduate chapter of the Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, said Griffin and Ricard were eager to support the event.
“They were very open about the idea,” Valenzuela said, “and they worked with us to help make the event a success.”
Valenzuela said Griffin and Ricard agreed on 10 to 15 percent of the proceeds because it was based on a similar percentage that other businesses donate to organizations.
Because of its convenient location next to Wesleyan and its connection to the neighboring area, the Coffee X Spot provided a singular opportunity for LTA, Valenzuela said.
“The coffee shop is within the community we work with,” Valenzuela said. “Our passion and love for Texas Wesleyan, its students and the surrounding community were the motivation to work with them.”
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