Pennsylvania Scout Has Eye-Popping Success
• One phone call landed 10-year-old Ryan Cenk in the Boy Scout record book.
The Richland, Pennsylvania, Cub Scout sold $25,006 worth of Trail's End popcorn last year. That's more than $5,000 above the previous national record in the annual fundraising drive.
Ryan Cenk: $25,000 in popcorn sales.
(Keith Hodan -- Pittsburgh Tribune-review)
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"I made a plan to be the top seller in the United States," Ryan said. Like lots of scouts who raise money selling popcorn and cookies, Ryan planned to go door to door, e-mail family friends and have relatives take order forms to work.
His big break came when he called one of his uncle's friends, who is vice president of a company that helps people buy homes. After hearing Ryan's sales pitch, the man decided that tins of popcorn would be great gifts for his employees. He placed an order for $13,500.
Taking the phone from his ear, Ryan said, "Mom, he wants 450 of the three-way tins." Not sure that Ryan had heard correctly, she got on the line to confirm it.
In all, Ryan sold about 10 tons of popcorn -- enough to fill one 17-foot U-Haul truck and half of another. As a thank-you, Trail's End is treating Ryan to two days at Disney World.
Oh, and the company wants him to speak at its annual sales meeting.
