The first year of the Donut Project (Reported by Beatrice Kuepfer)

How did the donut project get started? Well, in the early spring of 1967 the Relief Sale Food Convenor, Margaret Brubacher called the East Zorra W.M.S.C. and asked if they would be willing to make the yeast donuts. They discussed it and then they decided not to do it alone. They then asked my mother, Melinda Roth, if she would head up the project. She was working in the hospital at the time, and thought she had not got the time. I was asked if I would help and convene it. I decided to try it for a few years. A few volunteers such as Florence Schlegel, Annie Mae Leis, Rossetta Bender, Nelda Lichti, Alma Yantzi, Verda Swartzentruber, & I started planning for the sale. We planned to each make a double batch of dough for the sale . The recipe we used was the one that Mom had in her cook book. We went out in the morning with our dough and frying pans and started in rolling out and frying. Well did we get a surprise! People lined up & we were soon sold out. Some of us decided to go and get supplies at Murrays & went back and forth to Annie Mae Leis to keep us in business. To get the donuts to rise after they were rolled, I took them out into the car & then brought them back in. Walking though the crowd was no fun carrying trays above my head. By evening, my arms were very tired & sore. But it sure was fun when at night we counted the money & had around $250.00! Some of the bills were covered with sugar which had to be washed before they could take it to the bank! We paid for all the ingredients that year! Every year we wonder if it is worth while, so we discuss & talk about it that maybe if each person would give a donation we could have the same amount. Every year we always decided to keep on doing what we had in the past years. This was a great time for fellowship and volunteering of our time. The expenses for 30 yrs = $13,198.06 Total amount given to M.C.C = $66,980.48