There was a full house at St. Luke’s Catholic Church in Clearwater Tuesday, with area residents coming out for the chance to bid on homemade pies for their Thanksgiving tables at the 10th annual Slice for Life pie auction.

 

The Slice for Life is held each year to raise money to support the Pregnancy Resource Center in St. Cloud, which offers free pregnancy and STD testing, HIV screening, pelvic exams, PAP tests and resource referrals. 

 

This year’s event featured 80 homemade pies (and a few sweet breads), from traditional fruit to fancy gourmet and everything in between. The pies were baked and donated by residents and congregation members of area churches.

 

Complimentary slices of apple and pumpkin pies were available for attendees to sample, and balloons could be purchased for $20 that corresponded to prizes donated by local businesses.

 

Before the auction began, judges choose their three favorite pies based on appearance, taste and uniqueness. Top prize this year went to Stacy Mol and her chocolate cheesecake. Second place was awarded to Terry Kantor’s strawberry/banana pie and third place went to the dark chocolate salted caramel Oreo pie baked by Lisa Pelarske.

 

Auctioneer Fred Walz, who donates his services for the event, kept the auction lively, encouraging bidders to dig deep by reminding them their money was going to a good cause.

 

Although pies averaged around $70 each, bidding became more intense for some, with a memorial pecan pie going for $550, the highest bid of the evening.

At the end of the night $10,315 had been raised to help the Pregnancy Resource Center continue its mission. 

 

The Slice for Life pie auction was started 10 years ago at the suggestion of Marilyn and John Lee after they attended a similar auction for a pregnancy center in Alaska while visiting family members there. 

 

For more information on the Pregnancy Resource Center, visit preghelp.com.