Pie social sees high attendance, and raises more than $1,000 for library

Thursday for Valentine's Day, the Friends of the Library held their annual Pie Social, raising $1,292 for the Havre-Hill County Library.

"Anything over $1,000, we are happy with," Friends of the Library first-year President Denise Haugen said in an email this morning.

She said at the event that they had a collection of 63 homemade pies, all donated from members of Friends of the Library, family, friends and other community members. Haugen said they do not purchase pies for the event.

"A lot of people stepped up and made pies, and it is just an unreal variety," she added.

All the money goes directly back into the library, Haugen said, funding the children's Summer Reading Program, the Winter Reading Series, purchasing the licenses for movies for movie nights, and other activities.

Friends of the Library member and former president Jean Scofield said that the money is also used for cleaning the carpets and chairs if needed. She added that anything outside of the library's budget, the Friends of the Library will try to fund.

She said, as far as they were able to tell they had more people attend the pie social this year than last year. Although, she added, last year's attendance may have been affected by the weather.

Haugen said attendance was somewhere between 150 to 200 people.

She added that, sometimes with the pies they aren't able to sell, the Friends of the Library donates them to the Havre Food Bank and leaves a few for the library staff.

Haugen said she has seen people from all across the area come every year for the pie social. She said that earlier that day she met a couple from England who were vacationing in Havre who decided to attend the pie social this year.

Scofield said the pie social has been happening for a long time and is something people look forward to attending.

Library Director Rachel Rawn said the Friends of the Library group does a great job with their fundraisers - the pie social and the book sale during Festival Days - and raises emoney for different reading programs and events for the library.

She said that this year she had cherry pie, adding that it was very tasty and a good deal for $4 a slice.

The event is great for the community, Rawn said, because not everyone is able to enjoy a homemade pie.

"I think it is great, I was just talking to somebody that said that they read that pie baking was a lost art," Rawn said.

Some in attendance at the pie social were returning visitors and some first time attendees.

Shelley Pfister said she has been to the pie social before but has been living in Cut Bank for the past 17 years and was unable to attend.

"Havre is home," she said.

She added that she enjoyed moving back to Havre and attending the pie social.

Sandy Anderson said this was her first time attending the social. She said she was unable to attend in the past because, before she retired, her schedule wouldn't allow her the time off for the event.

She said the library and the pie social are great ways to socialize with people. She added the library has a large amount of resources available for people to use and she enjoys visiting with friends there.

Rob England of Billings said he had a slice of coconut buttermilk pie and of Key lime pie, which were very tasty. He added that this was his first year at the event, having come to visit Havreite Samantha French, who he attended Carroll College with.

French, who was eating a slice of pumpkin chiffon pie, said her mother use to be a member of the Friends of the Library, and she remembers her doing things to help prepare for the pie social. She said she was unable to make the event for the past years but was happy to make it this year.

She said the environment was good and the decorations for the pie social were great.

"You can't get more Valentine-y in Havre," she said.

Watch for more about Friends of the Library and the Havre-Hill County Library in next Friday's Hi-Line Living.