The story of how one simple question turned into over 2,800 handmade bierocks...
In early January, Ashley Mayes, a local friend and head-chef at Holy Cross Lutheran School came to us with a simple question. Ashley said, "Hey, I have an idea for a fundraiser that I think would be fun and raise a bit of money for Fairmount." We were definitely game to try something new and raise funds to support our ministry efforts at Wichita State.
Thus, the conception of our first Bierock Fundraiser.
Ashley had a minimum goal for us to sell 100 dozen bierocks. We were excited but weren't sure if we could hit her lofty goal. But then we quickly hit 100 dozen in pre-order sales, and 150, then we saw 200. Yes, two hundred in pre-order sales!
The week was a whirlwind, and we think it's safe to say we were all exhausted by the end.
We want to give a huge thank you to the following people:
Ashley: Who was the brain behind this project. She volunteered dozens of hours, many late nights and early mornings to make this event happen! A big thank you to her husband, Aaron, (who serves on our Council) who was found serving alongside his wife many mornings and evenings too.
Volunteers: Almost 30 members of our Fairmount Family served long hours making this event possible. Our volunteer team made and rolled dough, shredded cheese, browned meat, assembled and baked bierocks, cleaned dishes and the kitchen, ran outside in freezing cold temps to hand-deliver bierock orders, baked cookies for 2nd Saturday, and prepped and served the 2nd Saturday meal at Holy Cross. It was a real joy getting to spend time with our Fairmount Family, getting to meet new friends, and spend time with old ones. Although the work was tough and the days were long, the kitchen was full of joy and laughter as we all worked alongside one another.
Holy Cross Lutheran Church (HCLC): They happily allowed us to utilize their kitchen for nearly a week. Lisa & Melissa, their administrative team, helped publicize, field questions and calls, and provided office support for our Fairmount Ministry Team. It was great to get to hang out with all of the HCLC staff and get to know them all a bit better. It was a fun week!
We were blessed with two Thrivent Action Teams for the fundraiser and the dinner.
This fundraiser was a success because of the many people that helped make it so! Thank you to our amazing Fairmount Family, who supported our ministry through this event by offering your time, talents, and treasures! You all are a blessing!
Below are some pictures from our week at HCLC. A couple of fun things to look for in the photos below:
Two volunteers showed up in identical aprons from the Wagon Masters Chili Cook-off! Yes, many of us bierock novices found out soon that bierock making requires an apron!
A couple of high-schoolers from HCLC hung out for a couple of days. They brought fun and light-hearted energy. Rachel thought it would be fun to make a mini bierock with the scrap dough. We think the tiny guy is pretty adorable and didn't know if we should name it baby bierock or bite-size bierock!
We had some college representation in our attire that week. Can you spot 3 Big XII schools represented in the the pics below? Unfortunately, you won't see any WSU attire in the pictures. But don't worry, WSU was represented well as many days our Director, Kent, was sporting his WSU mask and T-shirts!