Cake pops provide needed funds to help annual Weston Cosey Toy Drive

Every week like clockwork, Weston Cosey’s grandmother, Tammy Allen, brings cake pops to Captain Jack’s Store in Butler. The popular snacks sell fast.

“They sell very well,” said the store’s manager, Misty Smith. “We’ve been selling them for a couple of weeks – about a month and a half, I guess. People who come in love them.”

Proceeds from the cake pop sales go toward the Weston Cosey Toy Drive. Cosey was only 6 when he died in 2019 from a dirt bike accident.

Born to Joe Cosey and Heather Allen, Weston was in the first grade at Valley Forge Elementary School, where he played basketball with the Valley Forge Eagles. He loved motor cross racing and his friends. His obituary stated that “Weston loved to make people laugh and lived life with no fear. He loved to fish, go to the drag strip with his dad and loved his Mohawk haircut.” The little man was a member of Harmony Free Will Baptist Church.

Thanks to Weston’s inspiration, his family was moved by the kind thoughtfulness of people during their time of grief. Instead of closing ranks and keeping their memories close to their hearts, they opened their arms wide to reach children out there who might need a helping hand.

The family wanted to channel Weston’s love of life by creating the Weston Cosey Memorial Toy Drive in a desire to take their sadness and channel it into something that Weston would have loved. All year long they take donations and buy toys for needy children. Allen even bought a storage shed to keep safe the donations.

Every May, Weston’s church has a free get-together on the grounds that celebrates Weston’s birthday. The community members are invited to come eat, play and enjoy each others’ company. The only thing they ask is that you bring a toy.

The toys are given out a Christmas time, but the family didn’t stop at that. They are constantly thinking of new ways to support the charity.

“I take cake pops up there [to Butler] every week,” Allen said of what started out as just a hobby. “They are still selling them and said they would continue to, which is such a blessing. With that, I’ve been able to get $100-150 dollars worth a toys a week for our toy drive. It may seem minimal, but when you’re clearance shopping, you can get a good amount with that.

“I know our kids double every year and this is such a blessing that they are continuing to do this. I told them they could stop anytime, but they say they sell themselves.”

When Allen picks up the proceeds from the store, she immediately heads out to shop. “When they see my car, they know I’m coming to spend money on toys,” Allen said with a laugh. Once she’s spent that week’s money, she loads up her vehicle and goes right back to Captain Jack’s to see Smith and show her how the money was spent.

“I like to go show her what that money goes toward,” Allen said. “We rely on the community, the churches and family to fund the toy drive, but with these cake pops selling, it will end up providing one-half of the funds – that’s because every year the number of needy children doubles.”

Allen said creating the cake pops is not a chore – in fact, it’s a blessing in itself. “It’s quality time for me and my granddaughter, Josalynn Shetley, 14, and my mother, Elizabeth Ahmed, 76,” she said. “We have a lot of fun doing the cake pops. My mother is disabled, but she rolls the pops for me. One time she rolled them really small and I told her ‘we’re going to have to send you to roller recovery.’ It’s just things like that –making fun and having fun together.”

The cake pops sell for $2 each. Allen said she keeps the selection varied and fresh. “Even though someone is buying a cake pop to help a charity doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter if they get a stale cake pop,” she said. “No one wants a stale cake pop!”

The trio make the flavored pops in vanilla, lemon, chocolate, German chocolate, butter pecan, rainbow and yellow cake.

“People love them,” White said. “And as long as people love them and buy them, we will continue to carry them. People in this area are really good about donating to support others. They always have. And we are glad to be a part of such a good cause.”