The sixth annual “Cakes for a Cause” was held April 1 with rousing community support.  The Piqua Community Foundation sponsors the event each spring to benefit the Piqua Community Fund; this fund makes grants twice each year to charitable organizations that improve life for local residents.  More than $60,000 in grants were made last year, and more than $530,000 in grants has been given since 1995.

Eighty-one creatively designed cakes were donated to the cause by local businesses, individuals, schools and not-for-profit organizations.  Cakes were accompanied by “incentives” – added by the donors – that significantly increased the values of the cakes.  The colorful, imaginative cakes depicted everything from a melting snowman to a platter of sushi, from a basket of apples to a rabbit popping out of a magician’s hat.  Cakes were sculpted to take the shapes of a puppy in a bathtub, a court jester, a whoopee cushion, a Mardi Gras mask, and a giant ham, just to name a few.  This year’s theme, “April Fool’s Day”, spurred the imagination of bakers, who entered an upside-down wedding cake and cheese cakes (that looked like cheese) among other crazy creations.

From noon until 5:00 PM, the auction was broadcast live on W.P.T.W. radio.  Each twenty-minute time slot included the auctioning of several cakes, with bids placed live at the Mall or phoned in.  The cakes and incentives were awarded to the highest bidder at the end of the time slot.  John Leese of W.P.T.W. facilitated the radio broadcast which featured Foundation Board members Dan Ramer, John Brown and Dan French and committee members Sharon Semanie and Karen Kelly-Brown. 

Those visiting the mall could vote for their favorite cake, with the top vote-getter earning “The People’s Choice” award.  This year, the people chose the Mike Yannucci family’s Cake of Honor, created by Dobo’s Delights Bake Shoppe, which depicted the Piqua Veterans’ Memorial.  The Theme Prize, best representation of “April Fool’s Day”, was awarded to Midwest Maintenance Inc., for their gas pump cake advertising gas at $1.19 per gallon.  It was also baked by Dobo’s Delights.  Fifth Third Bank won the Corporate Challenge, with bank employees gathering $990 in donations to buy back their cake; this cake also won the High Bid trophy.

The Piqua Community Foundation encourages 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 to those who attended or listened and got caught up in the “Cakes for a Cause” excitement.  The event generated over $10,000 for the Piqua Community Fund.

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