Slice of Life pie sale hoping for record-breaking year
Annual fundraiser for Food & Friends hopes to reach magic number of 9,000 pies sold
Craig Shniderman’s goal is to sell 9,000 pies — a thousand for each year that the Food & Friends’ “Slice of Life” fundraiser has been in operation.
Held each fall around Thanksgiving, Slice of Life is not only a large-scale pie sale, but one of Food & Friends’ top fundraisers. Proceeds from sales benefit the organization’s year-round services, which supply home-delivered meals and nutrition counseling to area residents who are critically ill, such as those suffering from HIV/AIDS, cancer, or other serious ailments.
Last year, Slice of Life sold 8,700 pies.
“We’ve been doing this for nine years, so we’ve got a lot of pie experience,” Shniderman says. “We’re actually, at this point, running ahead of last year. And that’s important because the purpose of this is not truly just to sell pies, but to change the lives of the clients who depend on us. With pie sales zooming, and going into our last week, we’re hoping to set a new record in terms of pie sales and to turn that money into meals for our clients.”
You can order five varieties of pies online and arrange to pick them up either at Food & Friends or one of 37 CVS stores throughout the Greater Washington area on Tuesday, Nov. 24. Each pie measures 9″ in diameter and costs from $25 to $45. Pie flavors include apple, spiced pumpkin, pecan, sweet potato and American Airlines Sky Pie, made with a chocolate amaretto brownie with almonds and powdered sugar. Every purchase of a Sky Pie includes a chance to win 40,000 AAdvantage Miles from the airline after which it is named.
For the third year in a row, Food & Friends is partnering with Baguette Republic, the Sterling-based bakery that specializes in handmade pies using natural ingredients with no preservatives or saturated fats.
“Because there are so many pies ordered, we could not possibly produce those at Food & Friends,” says Shniderman. “Keep in mind that we are preparing 3,500 meals, six days a week, to the clients, so our ovens are pretty busy. And for Thanksgiving week, we’re going to produce more than 3,500 complete Thanksgiving dinners, so our ovens are working overtime providing the food for the clients. Baguette Republic provides us with these excellent quality pies for a small fraction of what people pay to us.”
Shniderman also notes that Slice of Life is not just for those who want to indulge in tasty desserts. The Food & Friends website has a link where anybody can make a donation to the organization, whether they wish to buy a pie for themselves, another person or just contribute monetarily out of a spirit of generosity.
“Slice of Life is a great event, because somebody can eat well and do good,” says Shniderman. “What more could you ask for in life?”
Pies purchased through Food & Friends’ Slice of Life can be picked up at Food & Friends headquarters, 219 Riggs Rd. NE, or at one of 37 CVS locations. For a directory of pickup locations, to sign up to help sell pies or purchase a pie, visit www.foodandfriends.org/pie. If you have trouble placing an order, call 202-269-6826. You can also text PIE to 51555.
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