British Columbia

Salmon Arm museum's $2,600 pies a recipe for success

Salmon Arm citizens with a sweet tooth put their money were their mouths were on the weekend at a fundraiser for the R.J. Haney Village and Museum. Pies at the annual auction went for an average of $2,600, and one sold for $4,000.

Most expensive pie was sold for $4,000

Susan Mackie (left) preps some very pricey pies for the auction on Saturday, Feb. 20. (Leah Shaw/CBC)

You've heard of the $100 hot dog and the $100 doughnut; but they've got nothing on the $2,000 pies sold at a Salmon Arm fundraiser on the weekend.  

Make that $2,600 — the average price for the 14 pies sold at a fundraiser for the R.J. Haney Village and Museum. The most expensive pie sold for $4,000.

With the addition of a silent auction and sale of pie slices, the museum made over $40,000.

"People believe in the park and the village and the museum and what we do up there," Susan Mackie, the museum's general manager, told Daybreak South host Chris Walker.

"People want to give back to the community. And that's what it's all about — community spirit."

The museum will use the funds to support class trips, special events and maintenance of the museum's 14 buildings, which are originals and replicas of buildings that date back to the first half of the 20th Century.

An antique car stationed at the R.J. Haney Village and Museum. (salmonarmmuseum.org)

While many organizations struggle with fundraising, the pie auction has been successful for 10 years — but never to this degree.

Mackie attributes the success to what she calls the "Haney Effect."

"You step back in time, and there's volunteers and employees just taking such good care of that history," she said. "People just want to be involved with that."


To hear the full story, click the audio labelled: $2,600 pies make for a sweet fundraiser in Salmon Arm