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Piepalooza sweetens holidays for those in need
2:32 p.m., Nov. 20, 2006--The smells and sounds of baking filled the kitchen of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Newark last Friday as 30 Ronald E. McNair Scholars and University Undergraduate Scholars prepared more than 200 apple, cherry and pumpkin pies at the second annual Piepalooza, a pre-Thanksgiving pie-baking marathon and charity effort. Launched in November 2005 after a brainstorming session between Maria Palacas, program director for Undergraduate Studies, and Michelle Filling, UD doctoral candidate and McNair graduate assistant, the eight-hour nonstop bake-off aims to sweeten the Thanksgiving holiday for individuals served by the local organizations Meals on Wheels, Friendship House, Ronald McDonald House, St. Patrick Center, St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Mary Mother of Hope Houses, Emmanuel Dining Room, House of Joseph and the Food Bank of Delaware. “Because so many of our scholarship students are service-oriented, the effort ties in really well with the program,” Filling said, “and because we had such a great time with the pies last year, we decided to do it again.” This year the team enterprise went even more smoothly in the planning stages, not only because local vendors remembered last year's solicitations for baking supplies, Filling said, but because this year students' efforts reached well beyond the kitchen.
“Because all our supplies are donated, and because everything--including the piecrusts--are made from scratch, a significant amount of PR work goes into coordinating a really large project like this,” Filling said. This year, as well as last, Millburn Orchards donated the apples and apple supplies, Fulton Paper Company donated the pie tins and boxes, and several area grocery stores donated all other necessities. “Some stores gave us gift cards right on the spot, and some stores told us to go back to headquarters and ask,” Candice Tolud, a senior chemistry major from Piscataway, N.J., who helped with solicitations, said. “Mostly everywhere we went, the reaction was pretty generous, though, because I think people see that this is for a good cause. There's really no substitute for a Thanksgiving dinner with your family, but for those who don't have a family to go home to, people see value in this, even if it's only a pie.” Laura Armstrong, a senior art history major from Bel Air, Md., said that she feels the piebake benefits UD students as well as the recipients. “The shelters need a lot of help, especially during the holidays” she said, “and making the pies is a great way to get all of us involved in an effort that gives back to the community.” Chris Hamilton, a senior computer science major from West Chester, Pa., said that the effort also benefits the community by showing what diversity and teamwork can accomplish. “Baking these pies is a great idea, not just because they're a treat for the people in the shelters,” he said, “but also because the effort shows that we're a diverse group that cares about others and does something about it. Giving back to the community is a big part of the McNair program and it also gives everyone involved a chance to catch up with each other and work as a group.” Article by Becca Hutchinson
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