ST. CLAIR SHOES, Mich. (WXYZ) — A long-standing apple pie fundraiser is connecting the community and making an impact on seniors in St. Clair Shores.
For 20 years, the Senior Center for Active Adults has organized Apple Pie Week, baking around a thousand pies from scratch and selling them.
Many seniors have volunteered their time year after year like Rose Ptaszek, who really enjoys the socialization.
"We have different tables every year, so you just meet new people. You don’t see the same people every year. It's just when you come in, you sit down,” Ptaszek said.
This year, senior volunteers started on Sunday with 80 bushels of apples, peeling, cutting, soaking, assembling and baking to prepare for its anticipated popularity.
“People come back every year looking forward to getting two pies, 10 pies, whatever it might be. They share it with their families, their friends, their neighbors. People are always looking out for each other around here," senior center coordinator Matthew Dubinsky said.
Dubinsky says they always sell out and on average raise $10,000. Proceeds go toward their donation-based lunch program and staff salaries.
Chef Marti Marquez perfects the pie recipes according to the type of apples they get and also shops for the lunch program's groceries. Marquez says any boost in funding is vital.
"That helps because the cost of food is very, very expensive,” Marquez said. "It not only provides the nutritious but more importantly, it's the socialization for everyone. So we're delighted to be able to do it."
During the fundraiser, they sell between 200 and 250 pies a day.
“Word gets out and people swarm in,” Dubinskysaod.
So many people came opening day that a nearby road was blocked with traffic. Organizers then decided to have customers park and come indoors to pay and grab their pie.
Beyond the taste, some customers like Mark Catrow say they also want to show support.
“We been coming for four years now to get these pies," said Catrow, who came Tuesday and Wednesday with his girlfriend. “We sat in the parking lot for these pies now. They’ve changed it up, you can come inside."
