If you were missing sweets from your holiday season, no worries, Beta Alpha Psi has you covered, but the real reason for the event was bigger than just a craving fix.

The accounting organization hosted another bake sale benefitting the Humane Society of Bowling Green, following their successful spring 2017 bake sale, which benefitted the same organization. Beta Alpha Psi is an accounting student honors organization, which accounting instructor Sheri Henson said is open to accounting students to further their academic achievement in the field. Besides accounting, the organization also includes service.

“The candidates and members are required to engage in various professional and service activities each semester,” Henson said. “We have donated all proceeds to a variety of charities but we discovered, with our Easter-themed Bunnies for Bunnies sale in spring 2017, that a lot of the WKU faculty, staff and students are really supportive of the Bowling Green Warren County Humane Society shelter, so we thought that would be a good choice again this time.”

The bake sale was held Monday, Nov. 27 and Tuesday, Nov. 28 on the fourth floor of Grise Hall, but closed four hours early due to selling all their products – a mark of the popularity of the sale. The sale’s goal was to benefit the Humane Society, and the honor society even offered to match the funds raised through the sale.

The results were astounding to members of Beta Alpha Psi, who raised over $365 for the Humane Society and doubled it through their matching to raise around $730 that can go to keeping stranded animals off the streets this winter. Many who bought from the sale were the accounting professors supporting their own students in their endeavors.

As for the bake sale’s business strategies, Sydney Vogt, BAP member, recounted using the animals as a motivator for students to buy the baked goods, as the funds went towards helping them.

“Someone came up to me and said ‘okay so tell me why should I buy some baked goods, convince me.’ And I said, “’Well, it’s for the puppies!'” she said.

Beta Alpha Psi incorporates a diverse group of individuals that fill a unique array of positions. One of these is Hai Nguyen, vice president of finance for the honor society.

“The main thing I am learning from this organization is professionalism and making connections,” Nguyen said. “This fundraiser raised students’ awareness of giving back to the community. It helped specifically pets at the Humane Society to find their homes for the holiday season. This was a fantastic fundraiser for a good cause!”

While the organization has the goal of fundraising in mind, for adviser Sheri Henson, the event is a mark of something different – personal commitment to honoring her sister.

“On a deeper level, my own family has a strong tradition of adopting shelter pets, so this cause is very dear to me,” Henson said. “When I help in any way with shelter pets, whether driving dog rescues or contributing to our local shelter, I feel like I am, in some small way, working for a cause that my deceased sister cared deeply about, and I honor her legacy every time I can make a difference.”

Whatever the reason for giving this season, Beta Alpha Psi has shown it is much more than an accounting honor society; it is a continual commitment to giving back.

Reporter Noah Moore can be reached at 270-745-2655 and [email protected].