A special group of girls, having realized the holiday appeal of hot chocolate, has been exploiting its popularity for the last nine years. On Saturday, Dec. 13 at 5 p.m., in front of 3631 Garrison St. in Point Loma, they’ll set up shop to sell their delicious drink to hundreds of holiday faithful. What makes their recipe extra-special is that all the proceeds will go toward various charities that have immediate community impacts. The girls refer to themselves as The Core Four, and they include Jessica Ybarra, Meghan Zander, Adrianna Pickering and Emily Ferdyn. This catchy name calls to the fact that “they have all known each other pretty much since they were 4 years old,” said Kyle Ybarra, Jessica’s father. The girls have donated to organizations such as hospitals and the Red Cross. This year will be the first year they repeat a donation, as they will again be donating to Isabella’s Gift, a foundation at Rady Children’s Hospital. The girls, sophomores at Point Loma High School, are smarter than your average cookie, as they are not selling lemonade in these cooler winter months, even though their modest little stand would have you thinking so. They sell hot chocolate at $1 a cup, along with a selection of baked goods. Patrons can feel good about the splurge, as the proceeds have always gone toward a cause with special meaning to the girls. Some individuals have been moved to make larger donations. “One person gave us [a] $100 bill, and I couldn’t believe it. People really get into the giving spirit,” said Jessica Ybarra. The charity usually lasts just one day a year, and the girls pull out their cart and keep things low-key. However, some changes are in order this year. “For the first time, we are getting a lot more baked goods. We have contacted a bunch of restaurants all over Point Loma that can donate food that we sell, but we definitely bake stuff as well,” Jessica said. Funds raised from the first year totaled $75, and they went to help a young girl from Mexico who was receiving surgery on a limb. “The girls bought her a Barbie doll with accessories, and seeing how much joy that brought, they felt really good,” Kyle Ybarra said. Garrison Street is becoming more popular every year for pedestrians in the mood for enjoying festive light displays. The street experienced a lot of traffic last year, resulting in donations of $1,000, the most money the charity has raised thus far. This, coupled with word of mouth about how much good these girls are doing, should bring even more people around. “Our goal is $2,000 this year. We usually have lines going down the street, so I think we can do it,” Jessica said. Isabella’s Gift is named after Isabella Maria Zouvas, who died of cancer in 2001 at age 4. When the charity started, Isabella was too young to participate. However, she was made part of the charity, as she “was really close to our family,” Jessica said. Isabella’s Gift honors Isabella’s memory by providing pajamas for children entering the hospital for a night’s stay — when Isabella was visiting the hospital in 2001, warm and comfy pajamas went a long way in making the overnight stay a little more tolerable. Standard-issue hospital gown pajamas pale in comparison and do not make the hospital setting any less intimidating for the children. “They are young and scared and don’t receive a lot of comfort from the hospital gowns,” Kyle Ybarra said. Last year’s proceeds went toward clearing out the children’s pajama section at local stores such as Target and Mervyns. This year will feature a repeat, with the hopes of donating more. Come to Garrison Street to drink some hot chocolate, support a great cause and enjoy some of the impressive light displays that have tripped their fare share of fuses. For more information on Isabella’s Gift, visit www.isabellasgift.org.
