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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 20, 2019)
SCHOOLS A10 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2019 West Park kids take the cake Every year, West Park Elementary School families bid for cakes to raise money By JESSICA POLLARD STAFF WRITER Third grader Glendy Matias Perez, 8, was feeling nervous during the Dad’s Cake Bake at West Park Ele- mentary School on Monday night. She brought a small white cake from the grocery store for the contest and auc- tion, and it would be the last cake for parents to bid on that night. On one hand, she was worried no one would buy the cake. On the other, she didn’t want to bid farewell to the lacy frosting and spar- kly cake-topper. “This is special and so fun and all of the cakes look delicious,” she said. Glendy wasn’t the only one who had a stake in the cake bake, where kids and parents go all-out to make cakes to auction off. This year’s theme was “fam- ily game night,” and all the proceeds from the auc- tion were donated to the West Park Parent Teacher Organization. It was Brody Depew’s fourth cake bake. The third grader, 8, and his mother crafted a larger-than-life game of Yahtzee. Each die was an individual rain- bow chip cake with choco- late cookie dots and cherry frosting. The iconic red cup, tilted on its side and spilling out the dice, was composed entirely of chocolate melts. “It was pretty hard to make,” he noted. “My mom did most of it.” The cake won the “Most Elaborate Cake” award, and eventually sold for $95. There were several rib- bons awarded that night to parent-child teams who made unforgettable cakes. The “Most Humorous Cake” went to a family that made a Pac-Man cake with small ghost cupcakes and plenty of colorful fondant. The “Most Original Cake” award went to a fam- ily that constructed a bright green putt-putt golf course on a sheet cake. In total, the West Park Parent Teacher Organization raised more than $2,500 and doled out many ribbons and honorable mentions. The highest seller was actually a pair of cakes that were dueling in the board game Battleship and frosted in bright teal. They were auctioned for $200. Staff photo by Ben Lonergan West Park Elementary School kindergarteners perform for attendees at the Dad’s Cake Bake at West Park Elementary School on Monday night. Staff photo by Ben Lonergan Max and Vivian Barth admire cakes at the Dad’s Cake Cake at West Park Elementary School in Hermiston Monday night. According to Kath- leen Dopps, a fourth grade teacher and organizer of the Dad’s Cake Bake, the auc- tion’s beginnings are a local legend passed from PTO member to PTO member. Story has it, the cake bake started as a fundraiser in the late 1950s, when parents were advocating to get side- walks around the school. The goal was to raise $600, Dopps said. The city would match the rest of the funds. “It was a big success and the sidewalks were put in. No more walking in the streets,” Dopps stated in an email to the Hermiston Herald. Principal Kevin Head- ings said it was the 62nd annual Cake Bake this year. “I think it might be the longest running event in our district,” he said. Parents crowd the West Park gym to bid on hand- made cakes of all fl avors and shapes every fall. This year, a special performance from a kindergarten class kicked off the event. The group pre- formed three songs, includ- ing the alphabet. “That was phenomenal,” said Headings, who hosted the event. Applause fi lled the room before members of the Hermiston High School Key Club rolled the fi rst pair of for-sale cakes onto the cen- ter of the gym fl oor. As the night drew to a close, auctioneer Ford Bon- ney began the bidding pro- cess for the fi nal and 45th cake — Glendy Matias Perez’s cake. She sat in one Staff photo by Ben Lonergan A Yahtzee themed cake awaits auction at the Dad’s Cake Bake at West Park Elementary School Monday evening in Hermiston. of the front rows of the gym- nasium with her mom, fi d- geting with anticipation and nervousness “No one’s bought it yet,” she said before the bidding process even commenced. In minutes, bids leapt, from $20 to $25 and then all the way to $37.50. Moments later, with a diameter of just a few inches, the little white cake sold for $40. Glendy’s mouth dropped open in sur- prise. The night was over, and she left West Park hold- ing her mom’s hand. Thank you to the following businesses for supporting Newspapers in Education Their generous support of the Hermiston Herald NIE program helps provide copies of the newspaper and unlimited access to HermistonHerald.com and the e-Edition to schools throughout the community. 1090 W. 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Contact Audra at 541.564.4538 Today! If interested please go to fuzzballrescue.com and fill out an application. If you are not able to adopt, but would like to foster or donate, visit fuzzballrescue.com or you can mail in donations to Fuzz Ball Animal Rescue, PO Box 580, Hermiston, OR 97838 RE/MAX (541) 289-5454 1055 S Hwy 395 Ste 313, Hermiston, OR 97838 corteva.us 1705 E. Airport Rd. Hermiston, OR 97838 541-289-9800 eotechermiston.com For more information on the NIE Program, visit HermistonHerald.com/hh/nie. To make a donation, call 800-522-0255.
