Manna Opens Its Annual Pie-Selling Fundraiser With Free Samples In Center City
By Mark Abrams
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Manna, the Philadelphia-based anti-hunger organization, today kicked off its pie-selling campaign for the Thanksgiving season.
At lunchtime today, Manna volunteers with trays of pie samples were tempting palates in the lobby of the Shops at Liberty Place.
And it didn't take much convincing for Antoinette, from Olney, to try the top seller.
"It's a Sky Pie, with caramel, cheesecake, drizzled with chocolate. It's pretty good," she admitted.
Would this be something she might want to put on her Thanksgiving table?
"Yes, yes," Antoinette replied without hesitation.
Manna's event coordinator, Robert Nonemacker, says the "Sky Pie" is a big seller, but there are other selections.
"We have apple and pumpkin, which are kosher this year. We have sweet potato, pecan..."
Nonemacker says the group has a fundraising target of $250,000 to cover Thanksgiving Day meals prepared and delivered for those battling life-threatening illnesses.
Lydia Cipriani, Manna's development director, says it's easy to pick up your pie once you place an order.
"We have separate locations all over the five-county Philadelphia area and four counties in southern New Jersey," she tells KYW Newsradio. "So we have the pies for you. We don't exactly bring them to your door, but we bring them pretty darn close."
To order a pie for pickup just before Thanksgiving, go to mannapies.org.
