Mary Frew of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, where the event was held, said all of the cookies were homemade by members of the St. Andrew’s congregation. Each individual decided what kind of cookie he or she baked for the Dec. 4 event.
“The cookie walk started out as a way for the women of the church to raise funds for community outreach projects; what occurs is members of our congregation bake a minimum of 10 dozen cookies. The community comes in and purchases decorated tins,” said Frew.
The tins came in sizes of large, medium and small. Frew said the purchaser then walks through the displayed cookies as a member of the congregation fills the tin for them.
She said there are several projects the money goes to, such as college outreach programs, manna food pantry and Episcopal Church camp scholarships. There are also one-time support projects — such as support for a church in the southern part of Michigan that had a fire.
“These are just a few of the things,” Frew said.
Frew also said, “Once in awhile, like this year, we had a member of the Big Rapids Assembly of God who baked for us.”
Next year will mark the 25th anniversary of the cookie walk. The event raises approximately $1,200-1,700 each year.
Frew said the cookie walk was an idea of a former parishioner named Marge Kirinovic.
“She had visited her aunt in Charlevoix,” said Frew. “There was a church in that area that was doing this and the women of St. Andrew’s decided to try it and it has continued annually since 1986.”
St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church was established in the Big Rapids community in 1870 and it has about 75 members.
Frew said the cookie walk brought together a multitude of community members.
“We have customers line up for an hour ahead of opening just to get the cookies,” said Frew.
Frew said the congregation often supports the cookie walk in one way or another whether it is baking cookies, setting up or planning the event. All of the public was invited. n