Coolers for a Cause Awards First Scholarship to Henry Fredenburg

Coolers for a Cause, the student-led charity concessions business founded by Chelsea High School seniors, Bradley Dunn and Christian Gough, has awarded its first $100 scholarship to Chelsea Senior Henry Fredenburg.

Dunn explained he and Gough began selling concessions their freshman year at local events and donated a portion of their earnings. “We then take 25% of the profits from those concession sales and redirect them to local charities,” said Dunn. “We sold drinks out of an ice chest which inspired our name.”

This winter, they used proceeds from swim meets to fund a scholarship encouraging service. “It was a $100 cash scholarship to anybody who demonstrated community service, kindness, selflessness, added Dunn. “Applicants sent us a picture, and then wrote a reflection. Henry was the winner.”

The goal was to inspire action. “We made this opportunity to not only give $100 away, but to also influence people to go out there and do something in their community,” said Gough.

Fredenburg’s act of service took place early one snowy morning before school. “There must have been, like, I’d say, three-ish inches of snow along the sidewalks,” Fredenburg said, describing preparations for a funeral at his church.

Fredenburg, along with his brothers, cleared the sidewalk in the early hours before school. Though he had a calculus test later that day, he still chose service.

“All these random academic things are not going to matter in the future, but I’ll remember the service and the feeling that I feel after I serve,” explained Fredenburg.

Gough says it’s that mindset that set him apart from the other applicants. “He had a million things he could have done and prioritized, but he wanted to help people.”

Dunn agreed. “He chose to go out of his way to do something nice for somebody else. That was exactly what we were looking for in an applicant.”

Fredenburg hopes others follow suit. “Just go out there and serve,” he said. “Don’t try to do it for anything else, and you’ll just feel so much better about yourself. And that’s a promise I can guarantee.”

Featured photo: (L-R) Bradley Dunn, Henry Fredenburg, and Christian Gough. Photo by Doug Marrin