by John Dowd
Chapter One Book Store would like to invite the community to their second annual Pie Breakfast. The event started last year as a way to give back to the community and to have a lot of fun. Each year, the bookstore owners work with other members of the community to organize the event and pick out an organization to donate the proceeds to. According to co-owner Marisa Neyenhuis, the breakfast will take place on Saturday, April 20, between 8:30 and 11 a.m. at the Rocky Mountain Grange on Hwy 93 on the south side of Hamilton. Neyenhuis invites everyone to visit and enjoy some pie and music.
The Pie Breakfast will be free to attend, with a recommended donation at the door of $15. The event will include live music by the “Flaming Suzettes,” a local group including Mara Luther and Ben Morse, and Big Creek Coffee donated all the coffee for the event.
The Pie Breakfast drew over 150 people last year, and Neyenhuis believes there could be more this year. She has seen a lot of support this year, and attributes that to the fact that this will be the second time they have done the breakfast. She believes that the first time people were not really sure what the event was about. Now, Neyenhuis said, people love it and are excited to come back.
“Pretty much everyone I know that is a baker is donating a pie,” said Neyenhuis.
Last year, 71 pies were donated, and this year so far they have over 40 pies. She foresees many more coming in.
The event will involve two pie lines, where people can get pie, then they sit and listen to the live music. During the fundraiser, there will also be a silent auction and a raffle. Neyenhuis said there is a ton of stuff in the auction, including gift baskets, flowers, seedlings, science kits for kids, nice pork roasts and cuts of meat, photo prints, art, and they are still getting donations for the auction and raffle.
Neyenhuis brought the idea back with her from Wolcott, Vermont, where she participated in a similar event benefiting a library. She thought it was such a cool event that she needed to bring it to the Bitterroot for people to enjoy. “It’s just really relatively simple,” said Neyenhuis. And, she also said that it is effective, citing that last year, in only two and a half hours, they were able to raise $4,500.
Neyenhuis has higher hopes for this year’s fundraiser. Not only will people be familiar with the event this time around, but Neyenhuis was excited to speak about the benefiting organization. “People, once they learn what she does, they will be really excited to donate,” said Neyenhuis. This year, all the proceeds will be going to Loads of Dignity at the Fast and Fluffy Laundromat.
Loads of Dignity works to help unhoused and low-income community members regarding their hygiene. According to their website, “Many of us don’t think twice about getting a clean towel out of the cupboard before stepping into our shower or putting on freshly laundered clothing retrieved from our closets. Too many of our neighbors do not have this convenience and think of this as being a ‘luxury.’ We offer our services to our homeless and low-income neighbors 6 days a week.” Their services are by appointment only, and must be made 24 hours ahead of time. They also provide all manner of things community members may not be aware of, from shower vouchers to hygiene products.
Pie Breakfast visitors and community members can donate with cash, check or QR code and they can also bring hygiene products like laundry soap and personal items to drop off. All these items and donations will go directly to the organization.
According to Neyenhuis, the community members being served through Loads of Dignity are definitely in need of this type of help.
“It’s something you really don’t think about, and it is not the first thing people think about putting their money towards when they are in need,” said Neyenhuis.
For more information on the Pie Breakfast, interested parties can email piebreakfastmt@gmail.com and ask for information. Non-perishable items can be dropped off at Chapter One or brought to the event. For more information on Loads of Dignity, interested parties can visit loadsofdignity.com.