There were 30 volunteers very busily working at the old West Bainbridge Middle School this week to create 600 apple pies that will be sold for $20 each. Titled, Peace of Pie, the project is a fundraiser to benefit the Friends with Jesus Ministries.

This is the second year the organization has made the pies.

Nancy Grimsley, coordinator of the project, said the apples and pie dough were purchased with financial help from some church groups.  Donations of butter, flour, sugar and spices came from WalMart and Dixie Dandy. The volunteers have come from throughout the community and include several men who were in charge of the peeling process.

This is a hands-on process, using all fresh products. Boxes and boxes of Granny Smith apples are peeled, using a handy tool that quickly spins the skins off. Then they enter an assembly line process where they are hand sliced and measured. Spices, sugar, flour and butter are added before filling the prepared pie shells. As the pies progress down the line, the top crust is added and edges crimped. The finished product is placed in a box and immediately hauled to the freezer.

The process is one first used in Bainbridge by Martha Hawthorn, who used her mother’s recipe to make apple pies as a fundraiser for the Performance Learning Center in 2008.

Cathy Bridges, who learned the trade from Hawthorn, then incorporated it successfully at Southwest Georgia Academy, came to Bainbridge this week to help out.

Grimsley said the best part for her is how it brings the community together.

Advance tickets are being sold locally by supporters of the Friendship House; but Grimsley said she thought it would be possible to get one without a ticket as long as supplies last.

The pies will be available for pick-up Nov. 17 between 4 and 7 p.m. at the building where the school buses are stored. Grimsley said there will be directional signs to ease the flow.