Pearson's Cafe, volunteers aim for and exceed goal for most pies

It’s been an annual tradition at Saint Joseph’s College for the past six years: A few days before Thanksgiving, the college community makes pies for Catherine’s Cupboard Food Pantry. The tradition continued this year, but with two slight changes. In addition to providing Thanksgiving pies for Catherine’s Cupboard, the reach would expand to area food pantries. Secondly, the college—with help from students, faculty, staff, alumni, and neighbors—would attempt to break a world record for the most pies made and lined up end to end.
 

On Monday, November 24, after more than eight hours of work in Pearson’s Café, the final tally of apple pies came in shortly after 9 p.m. A total of 1,548 apple pies had been assembled and lined up, covering 56 tables. Pending verification from Guinness World Records officials, this breaks the previous record of 1,477 pies, set in 2013 in Germany.

This goal, which Pearson’s Café general manager Stuart Leckie set in November 2013, represents a year of planning, collaboration and teamwork.

After the final pies had been counted, documented, and the achievement celebrated, the pies were placed into individual boxes, which were folded one at a time with the assistance of the college’s baseball team. On Tuesday, the pies were distributed to area food pantries just in time for Thanksgiving.

Assisted by Portland's Wayside Food Programs, the pies were distributed as follows:

400 to Catherine's Cupboard Food Pantry

300 to Westbrook Food Pantry

300 to The Root Cellar

50 to the Salvation Army

100 to Wayside Food Programs

100 to other area pantries

Remaining pies were split between Preble Street Resource Center and Sacred Heart Food Pantry.