Article courtesy of  the Blenheim News Tribune

When you prepare over 2500 cherry pies, you have to agree it takes a team effort.  The last couple of weeks prior to last week's Cherryfest, over 20 volunteers from the Anglican Church worked  countless hours to prepare over 2500  cherry pies that were sold during a busy Cherryfest.  Simone McGuigan indicated that through the efforts of several people from the church the pies are prepared.  We start making the pies in May and stock pile them in six freezers because they are very popular come Cherryfest.  Popular they are, the delicious pies were  again sold out but don't worry just because Cherryfest roles around just once a year, the church makes pies throughout the year. Mrs McGuigan indicated that pies are prepared at the church every Tuesday with the exception of August when the pie makers take a month’s break.  The pies are used as a fundraiser for the church.  "We started doing this several years". The cherry pies were originally made at the Cedar Springs United Church.  They decided they didn't want to continue so we took it on at our church and have been doing them ever since"  In photo left Eva Behnke and Mary Ann Wright work on the pie making assembly line.

Article courtesy of  the Blenheim News Tribune

The Cherry pie eating contest again proved to be a popular and fun filled event during last weekends Cherryfest as over 150 kids and adults came out to gobble up some of the delicious cherry pies.  There is never a clean face in the house as this pie eating competition stipulates absolutely no hands allowed.  Participants dig in face first and the winner is declared once the pie has been eaten or in some cases most of the pies have been eaten.  Martha Miller, one of the event organizers was very pleased with the turnout and suggested " next year we will have to make bigger pies".  "Some of those kids are pretty good eaters".

Starting off with the 7 and under class young Brennan Robichaud was the top finisher.  His pie eating skills finished first ahead of Kyle Robichaud and Greg Vermey.  In the 8-11 year old division Allison Hopkins was the fast eater. She finished first ahead of Mikayla Deacon and Rebecca Smith.  The 8-11 year old boys division saw Andrew Vermey gobble up his pie in near record time to edge Isaac Ladore and Thomas Ridegout who finished in second and third position.  Devynn Deacon a former champion was this years 12-15 year old champion.  Rachel White finished in second spot while Sara Delaet rounded out the top three.

The 12-15 year old boys division saw the thinned down Sam Cook take top spot.  Josh Bradley and Dean Osborne were second and third.  In the 16 and over division  Julia Fortunato  was the first place finisher.

Article courtesy of  the Blenheim News Tribune

When Dennis Shuglo of Erieau Rd entered this year's Canadian Cherry Pit spit championship he didn't really know what to expect.  When it was over he held bragging rights and held the title of Canadian Cherry pit spit champion.  Shuglo along with five other contestants were on centre court vying for the Open Championship during last Saturday afternoon's  Canadian Cherry Pit Spit Championship.  With the wind swirling the local Shuglo, a virtual unknown to the Cherry Pit Spit scene spit his Cherry Pit Spit longer and farther to become the newest King of the Pit Spit.  His winning spit rolled 19.50 metres, two metres farther than last champion Alex Mitchell.  Mitchell who was a walkon in last years national championship finished second with a spit of 17:50 metres. His top spit this year was a metre better than his winning spit last year but Shuglo's 19:50 metre shot was just too much.  Shuglo proudly hoisted the medal he received for his championship win.  Local Pit spit celebrities Gentleman Joe Lessard and son Joe Jr., past champions couldn't quite muster their golden form this year.  Both are past Canadian Champions and ambassadors of the local Cherry Pit spit scene.  Joe Lessard Jr. finished third overall with a spit of 16:75 metres while Gentleman Joe who  along with his wife Sue organized the event finished in third place with a roll of 15:40 metres.  Other participants in the Open event included J.P.Huggins of Cedar Springs who is a former champion finished in fourth spot with a spit of 16:13 metres.  Mark Millson of Cedar Springs was fifth with a spit of 16:00 metres.  In the ladies Championship Spit off past champion Taryn Lessard was the top spitter as her flying pit travelled 14.34 metres.  Lessard who is too busy with family doesn't take part in the competitive level but seems to spit a pretty good pit during the annual  Canadian competition.  Tammy Vaughan of Merlin was this year's ladies champion edging the field of five spitters with a cherry pit spit of 13:51 metres.  Local favourite and long time spitter Jennifer Smith placed a close second with a 12:89 metres.  Korey DeShaw of Blenheim, a past champion finished in second spot with a cherry pit spit of 12:13 metres.  Taryn Lessard who is also a past National ladies champion ended up in fourth with a 10:84 metre spit.  Rounding out the top five was Nancy Westerveld with a 9:69 metre spit.  In the Youth Finals Chatham's Jacob Skipper finished first with a 6:07 metre pit spit.  He bettered Jacob St Pierre of Comber by a little over a metre.  Ethan Saiers of Dresden placed third with a 4:73 metre spit.  Matthew Fields and Rory Sullivan rounded out the top five.  Abe Knelsen, the defending champion in the 8-11 year old class was again the Prince of the Pit spit.  He bettered seven other qualifiers to win this year's championship with an impressive spit of 11:14 metres.  Thomas Rideout of Talbot Trail finished a close second with a spit of 10:80 metres.  In third spot was Tuan Le of 38 Plantation Place.  MacKenzie Dowd ended up in fourth spot and Isaac Ladore finished in fifth.  They estimated that  over 200 people took part in the event over the course of the qualifying round and championship round.  As in the past it proved to be a Cherrific event.