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Gingerbread Competition

Gingerbread logo in actual gingerbread and icingOver 1000 area residents came out to support Aurora's work to end homelessness, as we hosted The Midwest Gingerbread House Competition & Holiday Showcase on Saturday, December 10, 2011 at The Centre in Evansville.

Over 100 competitors comprising 43 teams from the local area and around the Midwest participated by building, on-site, holiday wonderlands in the form of gingerbread houses. Among the competitors, fourteen professional teams participated, made up of pastry chefs and artists from culinary institutions such as Sullivan University, Ivy Tech Community College, and many regional bakeries. Divisions included Professional, Amateur and Youth. The top three winners from each division received large cash prizes. Winners from each division are now on display at Evansville Barnes & Noble as "Feature Artists of The Month" until Sunday, January 1.

Winning in the Professional Division were:

Christmas at Count Dracula, Everybody Loves ChristmasFirst Place - "Christmas at Count Dracula – Everybody loves Christmas!" by Aimee Blume, Baking & Pastry Instructor at Ivy Tech Community College; Nancy Peters, Artist of Oil, Pastel, and Art Restoration

Santa's Sweet ShopSecond Place - "Santa's Sweet Shoppe" by Tracy Wilzbacher, Owner of Fresh Baked By Tracy in Haubstadt, Indiana; and Laurel Catena, Graduate of Cambridge School of Culinary Arts and Pastry Arts.

Candyland Board GameThird Place - "Candyland Board Game" by Debbie Garcia; Cate Smith; and Mike Sublett, all students at Sullivan University in Baking & Pastry Arts.

Amateur Division winners were:

Angels Among UsFirst Place - "Angels Among Us" by St. Wendel Community Outreach Team including Tonna Seibert; Linda Mercer; Dianna Thorsen, Evansville, Indiana.

Yuletide MusingsSecond Place - "Yuletide Musings" by Sharon & Bob Taylor, Evansville, Indiana.

Home for the HolidaysThird Place - "Home for the Holidays" by Christina Hampton, Evansville, Indiana


Winners in the Youth Division were:

Snoopy's ChristmasFirst Place - "Snoopy's Christmas" by Candice Gill, Student at Reitz High School; Grace Gill, Student at Cynthia Heights Elementary School

Christmas in Castle CountrySecond Place - "Christmas in Castle Country" by Katelyn Blanke, Student at Castle High School; Gracelyn Bose, Student at Castle High School; Tori Densley, Student at Castle High School

Winter CastleThird Place - "Winter Castle" by Anna Welcher, Student at North High School; Jake Bazzetti, Student at Central High School; Haley Jones, Student at North High School

This first annual event that promoted awareness for homelessness in southwestern Indiana and raised funds to support Aurora's mission to end homelessness, and laid the groundwork for future gingerbread events. Admission was an easy-open canned good or hygiene product, with monetary donations optional. Tri-staters poured out their hearts and pocketbooks to the homeless as they gave generously at the door, bid generously on the Silent Auction, and bought from the Holiday Shopping booths, where vendors of toys, personalized crafts, jewelry, handbags, ornaments, and sweets gave 15 percent of profits to Aurora. Picture of a vendor booth

The silent auction with over 60 items included Colts, Harlem Globetrotter and IU tickets, a golf package and a children's outdoor playhouse donated by K-I Lumber and constructed by North High School Construction Processes Class. Pictures with Santa were available for $2 per picture, along with fun activities for kids of all ages. Visitors and competitors heard holiday performances from local groups and presentations about homelessness and Aurora.

Sponsors for the event included WEVV Fox 44 and CBS 44, Hot 96FM, 93.5 The Wolf, 104.1 WIKY, 107.5 WABX, WNIN, Tucker Publishing and Evansville Living, Berry Plastics, First Bank, The Gutter Guard Store, Busy Dog Waterproofing, Parties & Pastries, Deaconess, Buehler's IGA and The Centre.