By Arly Cassidy
Each year when March rolls around, some of us start thinking about pie. The Hyampom Pie Auction has been an annual fundraiser for the town’s Community Center for years, and a group of former camp counselors has been taking part since 2008.
On Friday, March 7, I wrote my list out and drove over to the grocery store. In addition to my usual pecan pie ingredients (a whole cup of maple syrup!), I was also picking up groceries for Emma Bundy and Sam Grossman, who have been the caretakers at camp since December. At this point, the drive up to camp has become an old friend, with each turn familiar. Jessica Baron and I met up and caravaned from Red Bluff to camp, arriving for dinner Friday night.
When we awoke Saturday morning, we found Hannah Schulman, Jimena Portilla, Sam Haynor and his friend David had all arrived during the night. After a scrumptious breakfast, we all got started making pie! Dough was mixed and set aside to rise, nuts were toasted, and ingredients were mixed. Somewhere in the middle of it, another car-full of people arrived: Chris Hanawalt, Sam Bell, and her friend Sarah. Lunch was scattered snacks and lots of uncooked dough. Yummy smells started wafting, and everyone wished there was an extra pie that we could eat right then.
Around 5:00 pm we all piled into the cars with pies balanced carefully on our laps. The Hyampom Community Center was hopping, with kids running around outside, adults lining up for dinner, and everyone scouting out this years selection of pies. This was the first year that camp’s chef Marlys wasn’t in charge of the pie auction dinner, so we all missed her yummy spaghetti dinner, but the chicken bbq served instead was delicious.
At long last: the auction! Everyone had brought cash; per tradition, we pooled our money and decided which pies to bid on as a group. Kent sat with us and generously agreed to split a few pie bids with us. Sam Grossman started off as our group’s bidder and did a great job getting us a pie or two. Our neighbors were also friendly, and often shared the pies they had bought with us.
John Rapf has long been the auctioneer and always does an amazing job, with a rapid roll from one bid to the next. A few others helped him spot the bids, as they often came in one on top of the other. The pies looked delicious, people had money to spend, and everyone wanted some dessert! Almost all pies went for over $100, and Ushi’s bread, usually the bread-winner of the night (ha!), brought in over $300! About half way through, Sam kindly relinquished the bidding for the group to me, knowing how much I loved the strategy of it: bid up pies you don’t want, to help raise money–but don’t get stuck with them! On pies you do want, don’t bid until the end, so the price stays lower. It’s exciting and nerve racking but a ton of fun.
In the end, we were able to purchase a number of pies, including Marlys’ famous bing cherry pie, and a lemon pie for Jean Collard, Kent’s mom. Everyone was sharing, so we each tasted more than 10 different pies, cakes, torts, merengues, and other delicious creations. At the end of the night, the volunteer staff announced that this years pie auction had made a record-breaking $9,500! With aching bellies, empty wallets and the happy feeling of a job well done, we all headed home…to start planning our pie for next year.
About the Author: Arly Cassidy
Arly Cassidy loves going to camp. As a camper, counselor, and now as a member of camp’s large community, she has always valued the way camp accepts everyone as they are and encourages each person to explore his or her passions.
She bakes a pecan pie each year for the Hyampom Pie Auction, and she loves picking blackberries on Barn Hill.