By Emily Miller
REXBURG — Ben, Caleb and Desmond Mahelona have been selling hot chocolate and treats to benefit charities for the last eight years. This year, the brothers have chosen to donate their proceeds to the Family Crisis Center in Rexburg.
“Cocoa for a Cause” will be set up outside the Romance Theater on Friday from 4 – 6:30 p.m. as part of Rexburg Arts’ monthly Art Stroll. The theater is at 2 East Main Street.
Twyla Mahelona is the mother of the boys behind the fundraising efforts. She says her sons chose the Family Crisis Center this year because they appreciated the wide variety of services offered.
“They usually make a list of all the things that the money can buy,” Mahelona says, noting that the funds given to the Family Crisis Center could go toward food, hotel stays, alarm systems, warm clothes, etc.
“Their services were appealing to the boys,” she says.
The Family Crisis Center offers programs and intervention services for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. It also provides medical and legal advocacy, support groups for children and adults, counseling resources and referrals, and a community food bank.
In years past, the brothers have raised funds for the International Rescue Committee to benefit refugees, provided school and medical supplies to remote villages for Project Honduras, and they’ve helped a woman in their Washington community who needed hearing aids.
They’ve also helped a food pantry in Snohomish, Washington, and their cousin who was badly injured in an accident.
“My niece was in an accident and she became a quadruple amputee,” Mahelona says. “We raised money for her wheelchair and hospital bills. That was probably our biggest one. We had so much support.”
While the Mahelona brothers are selling hot chocolate, cookies, and other treats outside the theater, the Art Stroll will be happening inside the theater. At 5 p.m., the Rexburg Arts theatre classes will be performing music and theatre pieces they’ve been working on over the last couple months. At 6 p.m., Kaatia Larsen’s voice students will perform their recital pieces.
In the lobby, there will be stations for making Christmas ornaments and writing letters to Santa. There will also be a display from local photographer Susan Thomas.
The Art Stroll is held on the first Friday of every month from 5-8 p.m. For more information or to apply to showcase art or perform, click here.
