![Teacher Academy students from Ankeny Centennial, juniors Parker Wilson, Tony Mandolfo, and Sophia Royster develop their lesson plans that will be presented to the class. “[Teacher Academy students are] getting the experience of actually seeing if this is a career. They're getting that time in the classroom,” Teacher Academy and science teacher Kristen Campbell-Blumhagen (CB) said.](https://ahstalonnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/centennialstudents-1200x683.png)
Hyper opened its newest location on Monday, Nov.11 across the street from Ankeny High School (AHS), and business is booming.
Hyper offers many products, including their most popular hyper-infused energy drinks. Many of Hyper’s customers will come from students at AHS, so Hyper decided to donate all proceeds from the sale of $3 dollar medium drinks back to Ankeny Schools on opening day. But this is nothing new to owner Izzy Whalen.
“It is something that we have done since we opened our first location in Waukee in 2021. We established really early in our mission to the community that we are in, so we’ve done that with every one of our openings of our previous five stores,” Whalen said.
As predicted, many students have reportedly visited the new location. Their most popular product: hyper-infused energy drinks. According to Whalen, Hyper has 100 regular flavors and 35 sugar-free flavors, setting them apart from competitors. But the newfound popularity has not come without challenge. The grand opening saw lines stretch out onto Ankeny Boulevard, coming with long waits.
“I left at 4:12 from my house and I got home at 4:52,” sophomore Rylie Jensen said. “It was a long wait.”
Hyper-infused energy drinks range in size, price, and caffeine. According to Hyper’s website, their regular drinks range from 80-160 milligrams of caffeine, while sugar free drinks contain 120-240 milligrams. In comparison with Hyper’s competitors, Alani, a seemingly popular canned energy drink, contains 200 milligrams of caffeine for every 12 ounce can. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, adolescents should not have more than 100 milligrams a day. Moderation is essential when it comes to maintaining health while consuming caffeine.
“It [Caffeine] definitely gives me the energy boost and it helps me focus on doing my daily work so I’m not sleeping through it,” said sophomore Lillian Austin.
Caffeine may not always be the healthiest option, but it has been beneficial for Hyper and has supported initiatives in Ankeny Schools. Through the sale of $3 dollar medium drinks, the Ankeny location raised $2,655 for the Ankeny Community School District in the first seven hours of operation. According to Hyper’s Instagram, proceeds will support programs, scholarships, and initiatives that directly benefit the schools.
“There was so much anticipation and so much excitement for us to come to Ankeny,” Whalen said. “We just believe in the programs and how they impact the community, so it has just been our thing.”
