St. Boniface makes 4,100 pies for annual fundraiser; "Yup, that’s the apple pie school"



GERMANTOWN -- When Diana Erlandson is out and about, a certain something always seems to come up.

Apple pie making at St. Boniface



“When I tell people I’m principal at St. Boniface Catholic School," she says. "They’ll say, ‘Isn’t that the apple pie school?’ And yup, that’s the apple pie school.”

For nine years, St. Boniface in Germantown has held an annual Dutch Apple Pie Sale. And it’s only grown in popularity.

“The first year I think we did like 1,000 pies," Erlandson said. "And now we’re over 4,000 pies.”

Apple pie making at St. Boniface



That level of production requires a smooth assembly line of people from the church, the school and the surrounding community.

Apple pie making at St. Boniface



“They’re peeling the apples," said Germantown High School freshman Aidan Cummins. "He’s peeling off the extra and I’m slicing.”

From there, Quality Control makes sure there are no bad apples, the Sugar Shack mixes in cinnamon sugar, and the final phase stuffs, tops and packages each pie.

“Every time they ring the bell, It’s another 100 pies put together. And everybody claps," said volunteer Les Borman.

Apple pie making at St. Boniface



But that's about all they have time for.

“We don’t get up and dance because that would stifle progress from our work here," Borman added.

Last year, they raised more than $37,000 to help pay for resources and programs at the school.

Apple pie making at St. Boniface



 

So how did a small fundraiser turn into this massive operation? It's simple, the pies are really good.

Apple pie making at St. Boniface



“I will tell you, people come and they order one or two pies," Erlandson explained. "The next year, they’ll say, ‘I want eight pies. I took one to work and everyone loves them.’ And they just kind of sell themselves.”

If you want to get your hands on one of those delicious Dutch Apple Pies, St. Boniface will be selling a few hundred pies for $13 cash-and-carry pick-up through Sunday. You can stop by the school until 8:00 p.m. on Friday, from 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 21st and from 8:00 a.m. until noon on Sunday, October 22nd.