Just how much?

“I sold $2,220 worth of candy bars,” Hines said.

That is a new school record.

Students sold the chocolate from Sept. 20 to Oct. 7. But this year the Butler students sold so much the school ran out of bars the last few days of the sale, Hines said.

The bars sell for $1 each.

“That was the first time they ran out,” Hines said.

Morales is proud of her son.

“He’s been in first place every year,” his mother, Malerie Morales, of Fort Dodge, said. “But this year he went way further.”

Hines sold to businesses, family members and he went door-to-door to get those sales.

The money raised from selling the World’s Finest Chocolate bars goes toward fourth-grade field trips, activities, recess equipment, new technology and reward parties.

One such field trip will be to Blank Park Zoo.

Hines attributes some of his success to explaining to potential customers how the money will help the school.

“I tried to be as friendly as I could,” Hines said.

Morales added, “It helped that people in Fort Dodge like their chocolate.”

Altogether Butler school sold 500 cases for a total of about $30,000.

For his part, Hines gets to go out for lunch in a sports car from Kemna Auto of Fort Dodge and bowl for a few hours at Ridgewood Lanes.

He’s also been given a $10 gift card to Walmart.

“We are very proud of him,” Morales said. “The whole school is really proud.”