The HHS Italian Club hosted its annual Nutella Day on World Nutella Day, February 5, 2013.

Members and non-members donated many treats all containing Nutella. Some of the treats that made an appearance were peanut butter cookies with Nutella centers, Nutella cheesecake squares, Nutella pizza, Nutella croissants, Nutella brownies, and many more scrumptious desserts. Marisa Margarucci, Italian teacher and advisor for the Italian Club, also donated some Dunkin’ Donuts hot chocolate.

Members of the Italian Club were able to attend Nutella Day for free, but nonmembers had to pay two dollars to eat as much as they wanted. All the proceeds went towards the Italian Scholarship Fund, according to Margarucci.

However, because Nutella contains nut products/ingredients, there was some concern about hosting the event. In response to the Hawthorne School District’s recent peanut and tree nut product ban, many signs were hung around the school and many announcements were made warning people with nut allergies to stay away from the Italian room that day. Additionally, on the day of the event, Principal Barry Cohen and Vice Principal Dario Sforza stood outside the classroom to make sure no one left the room with any of the Nutella treats. After the Nutella breakfast was over, all the food was removed and Margarucci, Italian Club members, and HHS maintenance staff cleaned the entire room, from floor to ceiling.

The feedback for Nutella Day was all positive. “The Nutella pizza was out of this world,” said Alyson La Spisa, senior. “They had really good Nutella brownies,” said Zania Atieh, senior. Hayley Hyams, also a senior, sums it up by saying, “Everything was good. It was Nutella!”

“It’s a day everyone enjoys because Nutella is something we all secretly love and we can be open with our obsession!” said Margarucci about the successful Nutella Day celebration.