Alexandria Kids Get To Work At Rocket Fizz For Their First Job

Alexandria, VA — For some Alexandria students, helping their schools raise money has turned into a chance to experience something they have never done before: going to work.

Rocket Fizz owner Tonya Kemp has come up with a creative way to respond to the many fundraising requests her small business receives from local schools. Instead of donating a traditional gift card or gift basket, Kemp offers an opportunity for Alexandria kids to work at Rocket Fizz for an hour as a silent-auction prize.

During their shifts, the young workers get a taste of several everyday tasks at the store. They scan and bag customers’ purchases, restock shelves and even put together mystery bags. And judging by the response from local schools, the idea has been a big hit.

“It is a win-win for all of us,” Kemp said. “As a small business, it is hard to donate items. This way, the kids bid to win a chance to work for an hour.”

The unusual prize has become one of the most popular and highly bid-on items at participating school auctions. For students, the reward is more than just winning an auction. It is an opportunity to step behind the counter, interact with customers and experience what it is like to have a job.

“I never worked before,” said Annie, a fifth-grade student at Blessed Sacrament. “I like it. It’s so much fun.”

Her sister, Lucy, an eighth-grader at Blessed Sacrament, also enjoyed the experience.

“I like helping the customers check out,” Lucy said.

An Idea Inspired by a School Auction

Kemp said the idea came from watching her own daughter’s elementary-school auctions, where students could bid on unique experiences such as serving as “Principal of the Day.”

“I thought it was a great idea,” Kemp said.

The Rocket Fizz version takes that concept into a local small business—and it can have an added benefit for the store. When students work their shifts, friends and family members often stop by to watch them. While they are there, they may also browse the store and make purchases. For Kemp, that makes the arrangement a creative way for Rocket Fizz to support schools while also introducing more families to the Alexandria business.

For Lucy and Annie Weiblinger, the opportunity was especially meaningful. The sisters have been loyal Rocket Fizz customers since the store opened. Their family has participated in the Blessed Sacrament auction for four years, hoping to win the coveted work experience. This year, they finally did.

Kemp was not about to make the sisters choose between them.

“I couldn’t just have one of them,” Kemp said. “They have come to support our store after school every week since we opened.”

Rocket Fizz is located at 1721 Centre Plaza, Alexandria, VA 22302, in Fairlington Centre. The Zebra previously visited the nostalgic candy and soda shop shortly after it opened; read that story, “Barrel of Fun at New Rocket Fizz Soda Pop and Candy Shop,” here.

The result is a small-business fundraising idea that gives students something money can’t always buy: a first taste of the working world and a memorable experience with their friends and family cheering them on.