What do you get when you bring together 500 pounds of donated apples, five 10kg bags of flour, four 10kg bags of sugar, approximately 50 pounds of shortening, three cups of cinnamon, numerous eggs, orange juice and vinegar, and at least 13 wonderful volunteers?
The answer is approximately 250 yummy apple pies!
The pies had all been pre-ordered as a fundriaser for the “Splash in the Past” Heritage Splash Pad Project in Barriere.
Pie plates, sugar, flour, shortening and other ingredients were provided at cost by Barriere AG Foods, greatly reducing the fundraiser’s overhead. Liz Gilbertson generously donated the cinnamon.
Pie makers consisted of many Barriere 100th Anniversary Committee Members and community volunteers: Lindsay Arcand – committee co-chair, Tasha Buchanan – committee co-chair, Councillor Virginia Smith, Nora Johnson, Colleen Hannigan, Kathy Cooper, Edie Doering, Carleen Stamer, Lynn Wright, Barb Buchanan, Bev Murphy, Ashley Salle and Barb McManus.
Marion Wallace, an area resident who stopped in to pick up her pie order in the afternoon, graciously offered to stay and join in the pie making process.
Pie making began at 8 a.m. sharp on Saturday, Oct. 28, and the last pick up was at 4 p.m., with volunteers finally getting off their feet by 5:30 p.m.
The committee would like to sincerely thank Al Fortin and the Barriere Legion for providing the certified kitchen and space for this wonderful fundraiser.
Pies sold for $10 each. After expenses, the fundraiser generated approximately $2,100 in revenue for the “Splash in the Past” Heritage Splash Pad Project.
“It will still be a few months before Barriere finds out if it’s $250,000 grant application made to Heritage Canada is successful,” said Tasha Buchanan, “The North Thompson Community Forest Society has slated up to $150,000 to be donated to the project should the grant be successful. Additional community fund raising efforts will continue to be made in order to help bring this long awaited project to fruition.”
The committee is now looking forward to its next fundraiser which will be a raffle, with details to be announced in the next few weeks.
The committee say they would like to thank all those who purchased a pie, or in some cases – numerous pies, in support of this project which is sure to benefit young and old alike throughout the entire North Thompson Valley.