Pie auction raises more than $150,000 in 16 years

Raising $18,545 this year, the Orion Fall Festival pie auction topped the $150,000 mark for gross receipts since 1993, according to unofficial figures from festival treasurer Jerry Meyer.

Over 16 years, the auction has raised $155,326. The record for one year was $20,875 in the sesquicentennial year of 2003.

This year’s total is the second-highest ever reached, beating out the $18,351 collected in 2004.

The pie auction has come a long way since $2,755 was raised in 1993.

Bev Vickroy of Fyre Lake used a Perfect Apple Pie recipe from a 1960s Better Homes & Gardens cookbook to produce the first-place pie this year. One of the judges, Tom Weber, bought the pie for $500.

The second-place pie, an apple crumb pie from Mike Ash of Peoria, brought $175 from another judge, Aaron Tennant.

Joyce Lundburg of Orion entered a peach cream pie that received third place. Weber purchased it for $275.

Bakers finishing in the top eight were Stephanie Moen, Val Jones, Jacque Jackson, Tara Parks and Anna Schmedt-Streeter.

The pie committee gave its Best of Show award to Doris Azzaline. Ron Thompson paid $150 to take the praline taffy apple pie home with him.

Auction results will be in next week’s issue.