CASSELBERRY, Fla. – Jacob Tolle just finished his sophomore year at Lake Howell High School, where his teachers selected him for a once-in-a-lifetime educational trip to Iceland. The sticky situation: he didn’t think his family could afford it. The sweet solution: his great-grandmother’s famous strawberry and fig preserves recipe.
Tolle didn’t even tell his family about the trip, as he knew they couldn’t afford it.
“I didn’t think we would have enough money to do it because it’s almost $6,000, so I didn’t think we would have the money for it,” Jacob explained. “I just didn’t say anything.”
His mother, Angie Tolle, learned about the opportunity when Jacob’s teacher reached out directly. “The teacher said, ‘Hey, I see you haven’t signed Jake up for the information night on Iceland. This is an opportunity of a lifetime, we’d love for him to go,’” Angie recalled. “Of course, my reaction was ‘What trip to Iceland?’”
Determined to make her son’s dream possible, Angie turned to an unexpected source: her family’s generations-old strawberry fig preserves recipe. The preserves had already earned a devoted following among friends and family who eagerly anticipated her annual jam-making season.
“Over the years, I’ve given so many jars of jelly away to friends and family,” Angie said. “They even know the time of year that I do it, and I’d start getting messages, ‘Hey, are you gonna have the jelly?’”
Angie says she never wants to ask for handouts, so the recipe was a way for her to provide funds while offering something unique.
“Hey, everybody likes the jelly so much they remember what season it comes out, let’s see if we can get people to pay for it and get this to catch on and get Jake to Iceland,” she said.
This enthusiastic response inspired the creation of GaGa’s Goodies, Angie’s new business venture featuring an expanded line of unique jellies and jams. She now sells her products at local markets and through social media platforms, offering local delivery options to customers.
The business represents more than just fundraising for Angie.
“I’m just proud of him, and I want to be able to give him what we haven’t been able to do. We always want more for our kids than what we have,” she said.
The opportunity comes after a challenging period for Jacob. “His freshman year was very rough,” Angie explained. “We went through family changes in the household, he had surgery and had to start high school on crutches. And through it all, he persevered. Still kept his grades up, kept a smile on his face, and did not let life beat him down.”
The Tolles have already raised about half the money they need for Jacob’s trip. Jacob himself has been doing odd jobs and yard work to raise more funds. Angie will continue making and selling her jellies and jams until her son’s spot to Iceland is assured.
To learn more about GaGa’s Goodies or support Jacob’s educational journey, visit their Facebook and Instagram pages.
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