Purchase a chocolate hippopotamus for Christmas at a local candy store

CLEVELAND - Reminiscing about Cleveland Christmas traditions can bring to mind Mr. Jingeling, A Christmas Story, the Nela Park light display and Great Lakes Christmas Ale. Now a local company hopes that Clevelanders include a chocolate hippo into their holiday celebrations.

Last year, Baker Candies introduced a hippopotamus for Christmas and hoped to make it as traditional for the stocking as bunnies are for Easter baskets. Baker Candies have been in Cleveland since 1921 and in the Collinwood neighborhood for the last 62 years. The company is best known for its whipped eggs. The secret recipe is written in Macedonian, which few speak, and even fewer can write.

The hippos were the idea of David Spotts. David knew that his mom, Judy Zamlen-Spotts, hated Christmas mostly because of the stress and commercialization of the holiday. She doesn't understand why people spend money they don't have, fight with people at stores and travel through some of the worst weather.

“Scrooge was misunderstood,” Zamlen-Spotts insists.

Spotts wanted to help his mom get through the season in the best way possible. He came up with the idea of making a product based on the song his mother despised the most, “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas,” and giving the proceeds to charity.

They contacted Kathy Galgoczy, owner of Baker Candies, and her son, Chris Galgoczy, the managing partner, who both like Christmas but understand the sentiment of Zamlen-Spotts. The Galgoczys liked the idea of a charity fundraiser and agreed to make the hippos. Baker Candies have been giving back to the community for as long as they have been open.

“This business is the American dream with a golden heart,” Zamlen-Spotts said.

Last year, more than $5,000 was raised. The proceeds were split between the Harvest for Hunger Campaign for Cleveland Food Bank and the Kilimanjaro Climb for a Cure, which is a pediatric brain cancer and tumor program. This year, the recipient of the money will be the local Wounded Warrior chapter.

Baker Candies has two locations. The original store is in Cleveland at 16131 Holmes Ave. and the brand new store, which also has an attached coffee shop, is located in Willoughby Hills at 2804 SOM Center Road. At the Willoughby location, customers can have their picture taken with wooden hippo cutouts, created by a local Vietnam Veteran. The chocolate hippos retail for $10 and the whipped eggs are $12.50 a pound. They are also on the web at http://bakercandies.com/