Pie Night raises an estimated $13,500

By TIM HIRSCH of the Sun

Tempting pies, hearts for those in need and a rousing set of rock ‘n roll made for a tasty recipe when the fifth annual South County Pie Night served up an evening of entertainment and raised thousands for four local charities on March 16.

The annual fundraiser, which benefits four local food-related charities — the South Tillamook County Food Pantry, the Pacific City Farmers’ Market, the Neskowin Farmers’ Market and Food Roots, brought in the most ever — an estimated $13,500 — eclipsing the approximately $12,000 raised in 2017 and 2018.

Founded in 2006 in Tillamook, Food Roots (foodrootsnw.org) seeks to grow a more robust food system on the North Oregon Coast by engaging the community, supporting farmers and entrepreneurs, and improving access to local food. The organization works throughout TillamookCounty and conducts specific activities in South County, including providing gardenbased lessons to Nestucca Valley Elementary, Nestucca Valley Early Learning Center, and Neskowin Valley School students. They also have conducted free six-week Seed to Supper gardening workshops for low-income adults in South County for the third year in a row, as well as helped to support and fund the SNAP and Double Up Food Bucks programs at the Neskowin and Pacific City Farmers Markets.

The South County Food Pantry provides emergency food services and other hunger-fighting outreach programs to residents of South Tillamook County. The program served 851 households (2,097 individuals) in 2018.

AN ASSORTMENT OF PIES drew the attention of bidders during the fifth annual South County Pie Night on March 16. The fundraiser raised approximately $13,500 for four food-related charities.

Photo by Tim Hirsch

“The food pantry is an awesome thing for our community,” Diane Higdon, manager of the pantry told event attendees. “Our goal is to have a welcoming friendly place where we can meet the needs of the community.”

The Pacific City Farmers Market, which opens June 16, brings farm-fresh food directly to shoppers every Sunday during the summer, providing a marketplace for farmers, food entrepreneurs, and eaters to come together.

The Neskowin Farmers Market, which opens May 18, provides a marketplace for farmers, fishers, food entrepreneurs, crafters, and eaters every Saturday during the summer at the Neskowin Beach Wayside. Last year, the Neskowin Farmer’s Market, which offers matching SNAP benefits with no limit, served an average of 250 shoppers every Saturday. The monies raised at the event came from admission to the evening of fun, which featured an all-you-can-eat pie feast and music by Donna Jose, as well as a pie auction that saw pies be auctioned off by Dennis Love. Winning bids for the pies crafted by area baking aficionados and local eateries ranged from $125 to $375.

“It’s fabulous,” organizer Laine Koch said about the amount raised this year. “It went very well. We so appreciate the support of the South County community for this event. All four organizations feel extremely grateful. It just makes a huge difference in a very small budget.”

Koch also credited the event’s many volunteers as well as the Kiawanda Community Center, where the event was held, for making an extra effort to help in the event’s success.