The Myers Park High School freshman sold $19,458 worth of gourmet popcorn last year. Now he's trying to sell $23,000 worth of microwave popcorn by midnight Monday, the cutoff for this year's fundraising competition.
"That's a tough goal, but I'm very competitive," said Anthony, an Eagle Scout with Troop 107. "When I heard no Scout had ever been top seller two years in a row, I knew I had to achieve that. I love a challenge."
So far, sales are popping. He hit the $22,000 mark Saturday by pitching to tailgaters in downtown Charlotte for the Carolina Panthers' game against the Dallas Cowboys.
Popcorn sales, pursued by the Boy Scouts with the same ambition as the Girl Scouts sell cookies, help fund local Scout councils for various projects, while top-selling Scouts can earn prizes and get money applied to a college scholarship fund.
Anthony has been selling popcorn since he was 6 years old, so he knows everything about the 11 types of Trail's End popcorn he's selling.
"That's my secret: Keeping eye contact," he said. "I don't just read from a sheet. I talk to them about what the popcorn is good for. If they're on a diet, I talk about low-calorie popcorn. If they don't like popcorn, I talk about making a donation. I always try to have an answer."
