Lafayette student has big heart

Budding entrepreneur raises money to help youth in need, By Jennifer Jean Miller Lafayette — After collecting Halloween candy for homeless children, 11-year-old Max Revoredo had another idea to help the same youngsters. It all began back in October, when Max and fellow Lafayette Township School classmates gathered candy to give to New York City children supported by Covenant House. Max and his mother Meg personally delivered the treats on behalf of the fifth-grade class and were pleasantly surprised by the response they received from the young people at Covenant House. “They excitedly shook Max’s hand and thanked him profusely for the candy,” Revoredo said. “These were not troubled, disturbed kids but ‘Broadway Kids’ who were gregarious and kind.” Said Max: “They were very nice. They felt loved and happy that so many people cared about them.” Max’s interface with Covenant House children tugged at his heartstrings and he sought to do more. Max is part of TREP$, an after-school entrepreneurial program that teaches business skills to children. Through TREP$, the idea of his business “Max’s Confetti Eggs” was hatched. “My Mom went to Texas A&M, where she learned about confetti eggs and taught me about them to have fun,” he said. Stemming from a Mexican tradition, “cascarones” or confetti eggs are hollowed out eggs that can be filled with confetti, birdseed, tinsel or other surprises, and are decorated on the exterior for the occasion. They are meant to be cracked over a person’s head, with folklore indicating the act brings good luck to the recipient. Max peddled an assortment of his own confetti eggs at a school TREP$ marketplace event just before Christmas. His were adorned for birthdays (including a black “Over the Hill” variety), Christmas and Hanukkah. He featured eggs decorated with the Lafayette School colors and a Notre Dame “Fighting Irish” variety, of which the entire batch was swept up by one customer. After earning in excess of $100 and spending a minimal amount for a Christmas gift for his father, Max walked away with $93.93. He decided to earmark the remainder of his proceeds to Covenant House New York, which serves homeless children and single mothers in New York, to be used at their discretion. Covenant House will divvy up Max’s donation to support areas including shelter provisions, warm bedding, hot meals for a day, shoes and socks for two children, a week’s supply of diapers or to fill a van with sandwiches.