Student-Designed Cinnamon Rolls Raise $1,216 in Decatur
Local bakeries can use school partnerships and limited-run special orders to generate charity donations and test new products.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Philanthropy
Fourth graders at Ellsworth Dansby Jr. Magnet School in Decatur worked with Mama Bear Bakery to create and sell a new cinnamon roll flavor called Oreotella. Sales raised $1,216.20, which will be donated to the Boys and Girls Club of Decatur.
Why it matters
The project shows how a local bakery and a school can build a small, marketable product from the ground up, with students handling naming, design, and promotion. For Decatur operators, it is a working example of a community partnership that turns a retail product into charitable giving.
The fourth-grade special-order sale generated $1,216.20, all of which will go to the Boys and Girls Club of Decatur. Oreotella cinnamon rolls sold for $12 for two or $20 for four through a special-order arrangement set up by the school.
The players
Mama Bear Bakery
A Decatur bakery that produces and sells baked goods to local customers and partnered with the school on the Oreotella project.
Boys and Girls Club of Decatur
A local youth-development nonprofit that will receive the $1,216.20 in sale proceeds.
Ellsworth Dansby Jr. Magnet School
A Decatur public school whose fourth graders designed, marketed, and sold the cinnamon rolls.
The details
Students worked with Mama Bear Bakery owner Jessica McBride, a former Decatur Public Schools teacher, to develop Oreotella, a cinnamon roll combining Oreo cookies and Nutella spread. Cassie Yoder of Cass Concepts taught the students marketing lessons, and the class created a sign, a commercial, and label stickers, and named the product and designed a logo and poster. Ideas that were rejected included a cookie dough flavor and Grinch- and Santa Claus-themed pastries. Students were given the chance to taste-test the first batch before sales began.
Timeline
Article on the fourth-grade cinnamon roll project published November 2, 2026.
Proceeds of $1,216.20 are slated to go to the Boys and Girls Club of Decatur after the sale.
Market Landscape
Student-run product sales for charitable causes, like the long-established Girl Scout cookie program, rely on a recognizable product and a simple sales channel. This Decatur effort adapts that model by pairing students with a working local bakery and a business consultant for marketing instruction.
Local bakeries and small food businesses can consider partnering with schools or youth groups on limited-run products, which can generate donations and visibility. Operators weighing similar arrangements should review special-order pricing and any food-handling or contract terms with qualified counsel or an accountant before launching.
The takeaway
Small businesses weighing a school or charity partnership can treat a limited special-order product as a low-risk test of demand and community goodwill. Track units sold and donations generated per product run to judge whether a repeat effort is worth the production time.
Further reading
For related context on local giving efforts, explore more Philanthropy coverage in our business section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Herald-Review.
