Originally published by Delaware Wave
MILLVILLE — The women of the Millville Volunteer Fire Company’s Ladies Auxiliary have begun preparing for their biggest fundraiser: The Easter Candy Sale.
For close to a decade, auxiliary members have made a variety of candies — including candy eggs, chocolate covered pretzels, and peanut brittle — as just another way to raise money, which is donated to the fire company.
While it’s not the group’s only fundraising event it is the biggest and one that’s always garnished community support, said Rose Albert, chairwoman of the Ways and Means Committee.
“It’s a money-maker for us,” she said.
This year’s event will take place on March 31, but in the weeks leading up to the candy sale, the women will be busy melting chocolate, dipping pretzels and filling bags with a half-pound of these goodies.
All 53 members will participate in the prep process. They will make 120 chocolate-covered peanut butter eggs; 110 chocolate-covered coconut eggs and 90 chocolate-covered buttercream eggs, Albert said. Along with the eggs, chocolate covered pretzels and peanuts will be available as well as chocolate-covered break, which is the group’s take on a Nestle’s Crush bar, and chocolate mints.
The women also had to cut back some of the treats offered in a sign of the economic times, but Albert said if there are requests for certain things, they’ll make them.
The day of the event there will be a bake sale as well.
Miller’s Creek owner Debbie Evans has helped the group get “really good chocolate,” which the women were very appreciative of, Albert said.
The community is always supportive of the auxiliary’s fundraising endeavors, which includes a yard sale, a penny party, craft and art show along with several bake sales and dinners.
“The community supports us so we like to give back,” said Gail Quillen, president of the auxiliary.
While the fire department and auxiliary are very family-orientated with generations of people being involved, these events are very important because it’s a way to generate funds for the MVFC, Albert said.
Last year’s events raised more than $7,000, she said.
“We have to support our men,” Albert said. “They take their lives in their hands every time that whistle blows, people don’t realize the danger they go through.”
One of the group’s newer members is Vice President Laverne Mack who joined the auxiliary in 2008 as a way to get involved in the community she had just moved to, she said. Not only has her time with the auxiliary been great, but its given her a chance to do things she has been done before, she said.
“I don’t even cook and now I can make candy,” she said with a laugh.
