Chicago — World’s Finest Chocolate has launched its first name, image, and likeness (NIL) partnerships with LSU running back Harlem Berry and UCLA wide receiver Leland Smith as part of its new “Let Them Reign” fundraising campaign.
The campaign focuses on how youth fundraising can help participants develop confidence, communication skills, resilience, and entrepreneurial thinking, according to the company. Both Berry and Smith sold World’s Finest Chocolate as children to raise money for activities in which they participated.
“As a third-generation family business, we’re proud of where World’s Finest Chocolate comes from — but we’re just as focused on where fundraising is going,” says Eddie Opler, CEO of World’s Finest Chocolate. “The ‘Let Them Reign’ campaign reflects our belief that today’s fundraisers should do more than meet a financial goal. They should help kids build life skills, bring communities together, and create access to the experiences that help young people grow.”
Berry first sold World’s Finest Chocolate in middle school to help fund his football activities. He participated in the fundraiser with his teammates, turning the effort into a friendly competition centered on setting goals and working toward a shared outcome. Berry is now a running back at LSU, where he has earned SEC Academic Honor Roll recognition.
“Fundraising with World’s Finest Chocolate was about more than selling chocolate — it was helping me chase my dream of playing football,” says Berry. “Every box we sold helped support our team and taught me accountability, teamwork, and confidence along the way. My teammates and I pushed each other because we knew success was something we earned together. Partnering with World’s Finest Chocolate now feels like a full-circle moment, and I hope my journey reminds kids that the effort they put in today can help open the door to the opportunities they’re dreaming about tomorrow.”
Smith began selling World’s Finest Chocolate in fourth grade to support his honors choir program. The Houston native sold chocolate at family gatherings, school events, and one of his mother’s work meetings, according to the company.
“As a kid, selling World’s Finest Chocolate allowed me to participate in Youth Choir, which was such an important way to uplift and bring my community together,” says Smith. “Fundraising gave me something even more valuable. It taught me how to communicate with others, set goals, and keep going even when things weren’t easy. Those experiences built a resilience that stayed with me long after choir and carries onto the football field. Partnering with World’s Finest Chocolate holds a special place in my heart because I get to help today’s students discover what they can achieve through fundraising.”
The “Let Them Reign” campaign also features young fundraisers the company calls “Reign Makers,” including 14-year-old Bentley, who has sold more than 300 boxes of World’s Finest Chocolate during the past five years, and 9-year-old Noah, who raised money for a school trip to NASA’s Space Center.
The campaign is part of a broader update to World’s Finest Chocolate’s fundraising program. The company has introduced its first packaging redesign in 10 years and a simplified fundraising model centered on $2 chocolate bars. It also plans to launch WFCentral, a digital app designed to help organizers manage fundraising campaigns, this fall.
World’s Finest Chocolate has been in the fundraising business since 1949 and says it has helped schools and organizations raise nearly $5 billion.
