Cakes and community

Freshly baked cakes and biscuits adorned with delicious locally grown strawberries and airy whipped cream. These are the delights offered by the ANAF Unit 318 (The Hut) Ladies’ Auxiliary every year on Friendship Day.

The delectable fundraiser is something many Townshippers look to with anticipation, not only to satisfy their sweet tooth, but to reconnect with friends old and new. Rain or shine, Connie Vernham, president of the Ladies’auxiliary, has no doubt Friendship Day will be a success.

“People still come out for Friendship Day, they just throw on a sweater. It’s a good way to come out after a long winter and see people. We always see familiar faces, people who come every year.”

Vernham, who has lived in Lennoxville for 12 years, added that the sense of community found in the Townships is remarkable.

“I’m still new to Lennoxville” she laughed “People have grown up here since forever. This is home to a lot of folks, and it always will be. People are so friendly and outgoing… I always look forward to Friendship Day. There’s a feeling of continuity. You see the little ones, and how they have grown. You see those who used to be little ones who have children of their own now.”

The ladies work hard to serve their clients. Vernham said preparations start on Friday. They bake at least four cakes as well as 10 to 12 dozen biscuits every year. The ladies then prepare the strawberries, bought and frozen from the summer before, and whip the cream.

The ladies serve hundreds of people every year, said Vernham. According to her, the goodies are a hit. “There are always a few that come in late asking: is there any left?”

The non-profit group uses the funds raised on Friendship Day to give back to the community. “The fundraiser covers bursaries, scholarships and the other charitable works the ladies do.” explained Vernham.

At $4 a plate, and with plenty of chitchat from the ladies, the strawberry shortcake sale a worthwhile stop during this weekend’s festivities.