In the town of Wawota, there is a Raise the Rafters United Church built in 2016 on homemade pies. Well I guess not all on pies of course. There were also jams and jellies too. At first, it took a group of fundraising members of the church ignoring all the naysayer’s doubting their ability to raise money. But money they raised, and how did they start. Well they baked pies…and pies and more pies starting in 2013. Their efforts have paid off when it was announced on Sunday, August 12 they have raised a total of $98,106.36. Now that is a lot of dough!
“Churches don’t build new buildings,” recalled Wendy Brehaut of the original comments from others. “They told us churches are declining in attendance, and their congregations are getting smaller. We just don’t think this will work.” But a select group decided to try it regardless, and it sure has paid off. The group diversified in their ways to raise money such as wedding catering and dish clean up as just a couple of items on the list that these willing working bees would do. They also started hosting hotdog “tailgate” parties at soccer games. In the end, donations also played a part in the final numbers as congregation members contributed what they could. Now the mortgage is expected to be paid off in full this September.
“We’ve made 1700 pies and 2900 jams and jellies including salsa and relish,” said Brehaut. But she had plenty of help in all this with a list of contributors including Shelley Easton, Linda Birnie, Debbie Saville, Chris Haussecker, Neena Johnson, and Jerri Laird along of course with Brehaut and the only male of the crew, Gerry Dickson. “He takes a lot of ribbing from us, but he’s pretty good about it. One dedicated member, Shelley Corkish, passed away in 2014 from M.S. I’d like to mention her. I don’t think there is a function that goes by that we don’t mention Shelley’s name.”
The berries and fruits for the pies are from local farms in the region and the group goes out to pick and harvest themselves. “We went to Moosomin, Manor, and Carlyle to pick Saskatoon berries. We always sell out of Saskatoon pies. Peaches are another good seller, but farmer love raisin pie. People also donate us fruit too. They call us up and say they have apples from a tree in their yard, or old berries in their freezers, and we come and get it,” said Brehaut. “One bus tour came through the flower shop I used to own where I would sell the jams, and the woman couldn’t believe we grow apricots in Wawota.”
Brehaut thinks the main reason for less attendance at churches in general is that in the last 20 years lifestyles have altered. “There weren’t sport team practises held on Sundays in the past. Parents have to take their kids to soccer. It makes it tough to get younger people into the church.” Brehaut also thinks that everything is moving on-line including church services. “But then you miss out on human touch.”
“I like to say we put the fun in fundraiser. Our group really does have a good time, and a lot of it,” added Brehaut. “Our pastor loves to say the church was built by pies, ten dollars at a time.”
