Penn College News

Club's 'culture of service' provides hurricane relief

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

The Penn College Business Club recently made and sold 100 apple dumplings to benefit survivors of Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas.

The hurricane struck the island nation on Sept. 1, leaving 70,000 people in need of immediate humanitarian relief after high winds and waves combined to destroy homes and infrastructure.

The idea for the fundraiser came from conversations with the club’s advisers about the devastation experienced by Bahamas residents. The advisers suggested the club raise funds. The club’s members quickly agreed.



From left, Noah E. Siegle, a culinary arts and systems student from Milesburg, and Christopher R. Grove, sous chef II in Le Jeune Chef, join the Business Club’s Holly L. Wilson, of Lock Haven. Wilson is majoring in business administration: marketing concentration.Stevie A. Petrison, of Landenberg, and Victoria A. Sosar, of Berwick, celebrate their handiwork as it heats in the baking lab’s new, industry-standard Revent ONE26 Rotating Rack Oven. Both students are in business administration: sport and event management concentration.“There was never a question of if we were going to do this fundraiser. It was how we are going to do it,” said John J. Shadle, Penn College Business Club president.

Shadle, of Williamsport, is enrolled in business administration: marketing concentration. He explained that the club’s first plan was to collect supplies and ship them to an organization in Florida that would deliver them to the Bahamas.

Hunter F. Williams, of Drums, and Petrison roll out dumpling dough. Williams holds an associate degree in on-site power generation (2018) and is pursuing a bachelor’s in applied management.“Then, in a chance meeting with Danielle Wesneski (an applied management student who received an associate degree in baking and pastry arts in May), the idea of selling apple dumplings was born,” he added. “We knew that, as a club, this would involve a little more work from us. However, the Penn College Business Club has a culture of service. We investigated charities and found that the Salvation Army Disaster Relief Fund gives 100% of funds to the victims of disasters. We designated the funds to Hurricane Dorian victims.”

The dumplings, packaged and ready for transport to the ATHS, where they would sell out in three hoursThe School of Business & Hospitality donated the cost of ingredients ($117) for the dumplings and allowed the club to use its instructional kitchens, where Chef Todd M. Keeley, instructor of baking and pastry arts/culinary arts, provided instruction. The hospitality department also donated chocolates to the club as an additional sale item.

The club spent four hours on Sept. 24 making the dumplings, under the instruction of Keeley and Wesneski, who is a student laboratory assistant in baking and pastry arts. The club conducted the sale in the Advanced Technology & Health Sciences Center lobby on Sept. 26, selling out in three hours.

Proceeds totaled $508.15.