kids

This mum wants to do away with chocolate fundraisers, and not everyone is pleased.

The humble chocolate drive has long been a fundraising favourite in Aussie schools and sporting clubs, but some parents are worried it’s sending the wrong message to children.

Mother-of-two Emma King is one such parent and told the team at The Project she felt exasperated when her young daughter arrived home from netball with dozens of chocolate bars to sell.

“I think for me the issue was my daughter walked up to me with a box of 50 chocolates, it wasn’t like there was a discussion amongst parents [as to] ‘was it okay?’,” she told the panel on Wednesday.

“I mean, in this instance, we’re dealing with a sporting club, so I want my kids to be active, I want them to be healthy and I want to keep them moving.”

Chocolate Bar Fundraisers: Are they a problem? #TheProjectTV d…

Chocolate Bar Fundraisers: Are they an unhealthy way to raise money, or should we all have a bikkie and calm down?

Posted by The Project on Wednesday, 26 April 2017

Chocolate drives are appealing because they’re almost guaranteed to turn a few thousand in clear profit, but when one in four Australian children are overweight or obese, they’re also becoming increasingly divisive.

“It seemed an absolute contradiction in terms that there was a sporting club that was handing every kid a box of 50 chocolates to either eat themselves or go and market to their friends, and it’s the opposite message of what I want to send to my kids, particularly because it was coming from a sporting club,” King said, adding her daughter felt pressure not to let her teammates down.

ADVERTISEMENT

“What a lot of the kids are doing there’s a huge marketing taking place at the moment on social media amongst all the kids at the club so they’re marketing to all of their friends on social media, advertising when they’re going to be available so they can come and buy it from them in the school foyer.”

The Project shared a snippet of the interview on their Facebook page and reactions have been mixed.

Some labeled King’s complaint an overreaction, while others got behind her call for healthier fundraising alternatives.

“Seriously it’s ok to have a chocolate here and there,” reasoned Steve Cross.

LISTEN: School lunchbox politics on This Glorious Mess (post continues)…

While Nikki Nick was clearly on board:

“High time children were taught that eating crap makes for sick people. I was disgusted when my children brought home this junk for fundraising. Fundraising to make customers for the sickness industry. Good on this mother for speaking out.”

What do you think? Should wave goodbye to chocolate drives?