• District employee’s passion for Pez goes beyond just collection

    JEBCollecting Pez dispensers is more than just a hobby for Bellefonte Area School District Substitute Coordinator Jeffrey Baker. His wife Morgan and another member of the Pez community – Pez Head –have turned it into a way to also give back through a scholarship created that benefits local and national youth. Baker supports the effort in many ways from helping create custom dispensers to putting the word out locally.

    “The focus is on finding students that are either high school seniors or currently enrolled (in college) who heavily volunteer and make an impact in their community,” Baker said. “It has really evolved from just collecting dispensers and having the next best one, to being involved in the Pez community ourselves and being able to use that to give back.”

    This year, Bellefonte Area High School also had one applicant after Baker introduced the scholarship information to the district for students to apply for. In total, he said, about 440 students from across the nation applied for the scholarship, which plans to divvy out up to $11,000 to selected students.

    According to Baker, the scholarship was created after his wife co-hosted a virtual Pez convention during the pandemic. One of the goals of the Pez community, he added, is giving back. Normally, that comes in the form of benefiting various charities.

    Baker talks more with district Director of Public Relations Brit Milazzo in this Q&A about his Pez collection and how it’s become more than just a hobby.

    *Pez is an Austrian brand of candy that is known synonymously with the dispensers the candies come with.

  • How did you get into collecting Pez?

  • Does the history of Pez intrigue you?

  • How many Pez dispensers do you have?

  • When did your collection start to peak?

  • Talk a little bit about the conventions you attended.

  • Do you have a favorite and most valuable Pez dispenser?

  • What is it that you appreciate the most about the Pez community?

  • What is the premise of the scholarship?