Local couple asking community to ‘donate to love’ by buying cupcakes

REXBURG — A Rexburg couple who’s made and sold hundreds of cupcakes knows that love can make you do things you never thought you would.

Caleb Galke, 23, and Ana Mazallo, 20, are students at Brigham Young University-Idaho. They met at church and have been dating for a year and a half. Mazallo — who is from Brazil — has no family living in the United States, but she wants them to meet her boyfriend. She came up with the idea to bake cupcakes to raise money so the two of them can visit her family in Brazil.

“A big struggle in our relationship has been that Caleb hasn’t had the chance to meet my family due to COVID-19, lack of time and lack of money,” Mazallo told EastIdahoNews.com.

Mazallo said COVID-19 restrictions are now less strict in Brazil, and with summer break coming up, the only hold up on visiting her family has been money. The couple took a “leap of faith” and bought plane tickets to Brazil for a total of $1,500, knowing it would drain their bank accounts. But buying the tickets became motivation to sell cupcakes and recoup the costs, plus earn spending money.

“I told him, ‘We’re going to go to Brazil. I know it seems crazy right now because we don’t have the money, but we will have the money because we’re going to sell cupcakes,'” she recalls.

The couple bought 60 boxes of a variety of cupcake mixes. Mazallo bakes and frosts each one, and Galke helps decorate the cupcakes. The two of them then go door-to-door, selling cupcakes for $3 per one, or a discounted price can be negotiated for those wanting to purchase cupcakes in dozens.

Over the past month-and-a-half of selling cupcakes, they’ve almost reached their goal of earning $2,000. Galke said he doesn’t think most people want to pay $3 for a cupcake, but when people hear their story and he gives his sales pitch, it changes their mind.

“You got to keep a smile on your face and be friendly when they open the door. I usually crack a joke … and I’ll ask them their name,” Galke explained. “I’ll give them the rundown … (then say) ‘Our goal is to find out if you’d like to donate to love?’ Most people can’t say no to that question.”

Galke and Mazallo believe this experience has helped their relationship grow because they’ve been working on the same common goal. They agree that love is always worth it and that it’s nice to see people come together for a good cause.

“Donating to love, yeah, they’re donating for a trip to Brazil, but it means a lot more to Caleb and I, and for our future together and for the next steps that we might take in our lives together,” Mazallo mentioned. “They’re investing in something bigger than just a trip to Brazil.”

If there are any leftover funds after their trip, the couple said they want to donate the money to somebody else who is in need.

The couple leaves for Brazil on July 22 and plans to document their three-week trip so those who donated can see what they helped them accomplish. You can follow along here.

To place a cupcake order, contact Mazallo at (986) 600-8606.