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Cookie Contest proceeds net $800 for Food Bank
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Food Bank of Barton County staff accepts donations from funds raised during the Great Bend Cookie Contest held during Small Business Saturday in downtown Great Bend last month. Pictured are, from left: Dan Haselhorst, Sharon Lingreen, Dee Anne Grummon, Bob Essmiller, Anna Hammond (Rosewood Services), Kathy Levingston, Christina Hayes (Great Bend Community Coordinator), Marty Smith and Laura Williams.
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A440 Music manager Lyle Jones holds the certificate that designates his business as Great Bend Cookie Contest Champion for 2018. It’s the third consecutive year that A440 has been crowned cookie champion. The business tied for first place two years ago with Renue Salon & Spa to start its string of consecutive cookie contest victories.

Pleasant weather and the delectable taste of sweet treats brought large numbers of judging participants to this year’s annual holiday cookie contest in downtown Great Bend that raises money to help people in need. On Nov. 24, during Small Business Saturday, 150 people participated in the 10th Annual Great Bend Cookie Contest.

Proceeds from the contest, totaling $800, were recently donated to the Food Bank of Barton County. In addition to monetary donations, some canned food items were also donated to the Food Bank where volunteers were busily restocking shelves to meet the needs of the community during the holiday season.

“The people and businesses of Barton County have always been generous, and this year has proven to be no different,” said Dan Haselhorst, vice president of the Food Bank Board. “The Barton County Food Bank is able to provide a much-needed service to families and individuals who are going through rough times in their lives. Because of donations such as this, we are able to offer a wider variety of food and supplies throughout the year. The Food Bank Board would like to express a special thank you to all the people who have made this donation possible. Your generosity is very much appreciated.”

Nineteen stores participated in this year’s Great Bend Cookie Contest. They were Rosewood Furniture Gallery (Cookie Headquarters), A440 Musical Instruments, Beautiful Beginnings, Bling, Brown’s Shoe Store, Buckle, Defy Expectations, Dilly & Doc, Forever Young, Great Bend Coffee, Kustom Floor Designs, Perks Coffee Shop, Office Products Inc., Rana Luna, Renue Salon & Spa, Rosewood Bargain Barn, Rosewood Wine Cellar, That Hipster Place, The Wright Place Flea Market.

As part of the festivities, cookie contest businesses also donated prizes, which were given to cookie contest participants during a drawing that took place following the evening’s Home For The Holidays Parade.

Once contest votes were tallied, A440 Musical Instruments won “Best Great Bend Cookie,” with its White Chocolate Salted Caramel Cookie. It was the third consecutive year that the music store struck the right note with cookie contest voters.

“Congratulations to A440 for repeating as this year’s cookie contest winner,” said Great Bend Cookie Contest organizer Anna Hammond. “Thank you to all the businesses for taking the time to bake and serve holiday cookies and also for donating a gift for the drawing. This event has become a fun community tradition that involves food, family, friends, shopping, and best of all, giving to a very worthy cause.”