SELLING homemade scones and biscuits in a unique manner, due to challenges presented by COVID-19, has seen a local community group raise nearly $2000.
The SACWA Riverland Evening Branch last month held its first Scone-A-Thon fundraiser drive, which saw members selling homemade scones and honey biscuits throughout the community.
Branch president Julie Brand said approximately 1700 scones and more than 1800 biscuits were baked for the initiative.
“A group of us made honey biscuits at home all week and we had orders for 1860 biscuits,” Ms Brand said.
“We baked around 1700 scones at the Chaffey Community Centre and also two of our members opened up their homes, so we actually had three kitchens going.
“We were really rapt. All our members took orders forms and dropped them off at different places (then) we had about three weeks of orders being taken.”
Ms Brand said Riverland CWA members held the Scone-A-Thon after regular fundraising activities at the Riverland Field Days were cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions.
“The whole idea of it was to replace the funds we would normally raise at the Riverland Field Days,” she said.
“We’re there with a café every year, but of course because that didn’t happen we thought we needed to raise some revenue.
“We thought about having a scone drive, much like schools have a lamington drive,
“We don’t have a final tally because I’ve got to take some costs out, but we actually raised far more than we would have at the Field Days.”
Ms Brand said funds raised from the drive would help compensate for SACWA’s inability to hold a fundraising café at the Royal Adelaide Show.
“The SACWA have a café at the Adelaide Show and usually sell about 13,000 scones over the 10 days… and it’s one of their main revenue raisers,” she said.
“That’s not happening either, so our money will go to the head office to go towards the emergency funds, which helps all South Australians with bushfire support, or drought support, or families in need who come to the organisation.”
Ms Brand said the Riverland branch would consider holding the Scone-A-Thon in the same format next year.
“No doubt we’ll keep baking and catering for events as we have the opportunity,” she said.
“These things bring people together as well, because the community knows there’s been a lack of the usual events.
“A big thank you to everybody who supported us by ordering our baked goods… and certainly all the members for their time and effort in baking so many food items.”