Bake-Off for Andy Sheer

Students competed in baking competition in support of director of facilities and operations Andy Sheer.

Keely Schieffer, Reporter|Feb 22, 2020

PHOTO | Keely Schieffer

Junior Zoe Zorn and freshman Veda Renzulli are served cake samples from senior Sela Kincaid at the bake-off Feb. 21.

Student Council hosted the first-ever bake-off Feb. 21 as a fundraiser for director of facilities and operations Andy Sheer who has been hospitalized following his cancer diagnosis. Bake-off winners included junior Violet Tumlin, junior Pritika Manna, junior Sharon Kramschuster, junior Maddie Mills, senior Sela Kincaid, senior Holly Frey, senior Kyleigh Smith, senior Logan Dixon and counselor Erin Stein. 

After being diagnosed with stage IV urethral cancer, the student body, faculty and parents have contributed to the extra financial stress the chemotherapy treatment has instilled upon his family. Mission director Annie Riggs founded a GoFundMe to support the Sheer family. As of Feb. 22, the GoFundMe has earned $44,930, surpassing its initial $25,000 goal. Student Council planned ‘Fun Fridays’ throughout February. Each Friday has a special activity planned to boost the spirits of the community. For this ‘Fun Friday’ participants competed in a baking competition in which the students and faculty voted for winners. 

“A lot of planning went into it,” executive vice president junior Mikayla Gunther said. “But it was fun getting to plan a fun event for the school to enjoy.”

The tables lined the outside of the gym, each with their own layout and theme. There were four categories for the bake-off: cookies, brownies, muffins and cake. Student council sponsor Jennifer Brown-Howerton announced the winners from each category as well as a winner for the best looking table at the start of seventh hour.

  • Junior Kennedy Ruark tries juniors Pritika Manna and Violet Tumlin’s cookies in the bake-off Feb. 21. Manna and Tumlin won in the cookie category.

    PHOTO | Keely Schieffer
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  • Sophomores Samantha Phillips and Angelina Ferrara converse and taste the sweets during the bake-off in which proceeds went to director of facilities and operations Andy Sheer Feb. 21. Students gathered in the gym following second hour to taste-test the participants baked dishes.

    PHOTO | Keely Schieffer
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  • Junior Zoe Zorn and freshman Veda Renzulli are served cake samples from senior Sela Kincaid at the bake-off Feb. 21.

    PHOTO | Keely Schieffer
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  • Junior Hannah Borgmeyer samples counselor Erin Stein’s homemade coffee cake at the bake-off Feb. 21. Stein won in the best muffin category.

    PHOTO | Keely Schieffer
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  • Freshman Adaline Huhmann writes a letter at the bake-off to director of facilities and operations Andy Sheer as he is receiving treatment at Kansas University Medical Center for stage IV urethral cancer Feb. 21.

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“I was so excited to win the bake-off,”Tumlin said. “I was surprised, but I worked really hard on my treats.”

The winners of cookies were Tumlin and Manna. The brownie winners were Kramschuster and Mills. The winner of the cake category was Kincaid. The winner of muffins was Stein. Frey, Smith and Dixon won for best table design. 

“I am really excited that my team won the best table because we put a lot of thought into our decorations and table set up,” Dixon said.

Along with the taste testing, stucco played music and students were invited to sign a poster and cards for Sheer. They will be delivered to him by student council.

“Student Council wanted to make the bake-off a fun way to help Andy,” Gunther said.