LITTLE CURRENT—The Manitoulin Health Centre Little Current Auxiliary is trying its hand at a new and innovative approach to fundraising this Christmas season—a bakeless bake sale.
Karl Cheung, the MHC’s clinical nurse educator and a member of the auxiliary, explained that for the past number of years the Little Current auxiliary has hosted a fundraising cookie walk at the Holy Trinity Anglican Church where two sizes of boxes could be purchased and then filled with as much of the donated baking as possible. The popularity of the event has waned over time and it was becoming harder and harder to get cookie donations from auxiliary members, Mr. Cheung added, and so the idea for a bakeless bake sale was born.
“There’s also a trend of people trying to be more healthy over the Christmas season,” he continued.
Some auxiliaries have already adopted the bakeless bake sale model so, instead of purchasing a box of cookies, you can donate the amount you would have spent on the goodies and as a thank you, a paper confection will be posted near the admitting office at the health centre with your name, or the name of a loved one, on it.
For example, a half-dozen ‘cookies’ costs $2, a dozen cookies $4, three dozen $8 and five dozen $15. One can also buy ‘cupcakes’ or ‘pies,’ with one pie costing $6 or five for $30. The auxiliary will be selling the bakeless goods from tomorrow, Thursday, November 22 until December 8. Forms to donate can be found at admitting, through the auxiliary’s tuck cart and at Doug’s Barbershop in downtown Little Current.
To kick off the new event, the clever auxiliary members even have a little poem:
“A bit of news we have today!
A bakeless bake sale is on the way.
In these busy days, who would really
want to bake,
A pie or cookies, or even cake.
You’d be surprised, if you counted the
cost,
Of ingredients, heat and the time you’ve
lost.
Bake for sales is extra work,
Yet nobody really wants to shirk.
Many a time I heard you say,
‘I would rather give dollars than bake
today!’
So, we are asking you to help more or
less,
To make our bakeless bake sale a big
success.
Just send us the money that it would
take,
To bake cookies, pies or cupcakes.”