The fifth annual “Cakes for a Cause” filled the Miami Valley Centre Mall on April 22 and 23 with a dazzling array of colorful and delicious cakes, all for a great cause.

The Piqua Community Foundation sponsored the project - a community event and cake auction to benefit the Foundation’s Piqua Community Fund.  This fund makes grants twice each year to charitable organizations that provide programs or projects that will help improve life for residents of Piqua and the surrounding area.  Nearly $60,000 in grants will go back into the community from the Foundation’s grant making funds this year, and more than $475,000 in grants has been given since the first grants were made in 1995.

Eighty-two cakes were displayed at the mall on Thursday, April 22.  These creatively designed cakes were donated to the cause by local businesses, individuals, and not-for-profit organizations.  The cakes were accompanied by “incentives” – added by the donors – that significantly increased the values of the cakes.  Incentives ranged from a Zoom whitening package from a local dentist to a 72” walnut propeller, from tickets to baseball games and the theatre to an evening star-gazing in a local observatory. Many included gift certificates to local merchants and businesses.

Bids were taken live at the mall Thursday evening and Friday during the day.  From noon Friday until 5:00 PM, the auction was broadcast live on W.P.T.W. radio.  Each twenty-minute time slot included the auctioning of 6 or 7 cakes, with those cakes and their incentives going to the highest bidder at the end of the time slot.  John Leese and Joe Neves of W.P.T.W. facilitated the radio broadcast which featured Foundation Board vice-president Dan Ramer, board member John Brown, and Karen Kelly Brown, local store marketing representative for area McDonald’s.

Those visiting the mall could vote for their favorite cakes, with the top vote-getter earning “The People’s Choice” award.  The 2010 People’s Choice award was given to Miami Valley Steel Services for their cake, which featured the Frog Prince.  The Theme Prize, best representation of “Once Upon a Time”, was a tie with Edison Community College and Murray Wells Wendeln and Robinson, CPAs both receiving recognition.

Fifth Third Bank won the Corporate Challenge award for the second consecutive year; this award goes to the business or organization that collects the most money from their employees to buy back their own cake.  Fifth Third also won the High Bid Trophy for the cake with the highest winning bid, with the $890 bid on their cake.

The Piqua Community Foundation mission includes encouraging charitable giving to benefit citizens of Piqua.   The Foundation expresses sincere thanks to all those who gave to benefit the community through this event – those who donated cakes, purchased cakes, volunteered their time and expertise to the event, and those who attended or listened and got caught up in the “Cakes for a Cause” excitement.  The event generated approximately $11,000 for the Piqua Community Fund.

"Providing your opportunity to enrich our community"