Surprise! Tommy's Bake Sale Nets $7,200+

The "Chocolate Surprise," a bake sale thought up by 7-yeard-old Tommy Swift of Warren to help his mom, Natalie, collected $6,700 on Apr. 6, his aunt, Lesley, said on Monday.

Tallied with about $500 in online donations through the Natalie Swift Foundation website, the effort collected a total of $7,200, Lesley explained during a phone interview.

Donations made online came from as far away as Vancouver, British Columbia, Swift noted — but Rhode Island roots also made a showing, as some of the treats were presented in mugs from a restaurant in Coeur D'Alene, ID with local ties.

Mike DePasquale, owner of Michael D's in Idaho and a Warren native, donated the mugs through his brother, Joe, who then turned them over to Jane Viscolosi for use as baking vessels for brownies and cakes.

"We were hoping to make about $1,000, so we were blown away," Swift said of the event, held at Savon Shoes on Main Street. "It was all from people coming in and giving us checks and making purchases — some people just came in and made donations."