West Holmes cake auctions raise $15,000

Cake has never been so expensive, nor has it ever been as sweet as when sold at the annual West Holmes Booster Club Cake Auctions, which took place on two separate evenings of West Holmes basketball games.

The boys athletic teams sell their cakes and pastries during a girls varsity game while the opposite takes place for the girls teams, and on Tuesday, Feb. 3, the girls teams and a special cake honoring the first WHHS team to ever go to state — the 1966 West Holmes baseball team — paraded to center court as auctioneer Tim Miller of Kaufman Realty & Auction encouraged people to pour out their support for the school’s athletic programs.

This year’s cake auctions brought in more than $15,000, and over the past dozen years, the booster club has raised more than $200,000 in support of the club and the teams.

Roger Proper, president of the West Holmes Athletic Booster Club, said the two evenings of cake auction sales go a long way in supporting all the WHHS athletic teams, and while the booster club my make the push for the cake sale, it is truly the community that deserves credit for stepping up to support the student-athletes.

“We’ve got a great community support base out there who really care about these kids,” Proper said. “This is so much fun. You see the incredible community spirit and support, you see people engaged and having fun bidding against each other, and it is probably one of my most enjoyable fundraisers.”

He said having the student-athletes get involved also is part of the equation. Some of the teams get together and create their own cakes while others have people make them, and some of the cakes are truly works of art, crafted to highlight the sport being presented, from girls soccer to boys cross country and every sport in between.

All the funds raised go directly into the general fund for the booster club, which in turn supports every program under the school’s umbrella of sports.

“This is all about supporting our student-athletes,” Proper said.

Athletic Director Adam Brately said it’s always enjoyable to see the inventive ways each team comes up with a themed cake, cupcakes and even cookies.

He said the booster club never gets enough support for the way it invests its time in supporting all the teams.

“Our booster club does an incredible job of promoting, marketing and pulling off this event,” Brately said. “Their support and the support of the many businesses in the area who come out for this event every year are amazing.”

He said having a special cake like the one for the 1966 baseball team is always an added caveat that inspires people and brings unity to the auction.

West Holmes cheerleader Macie Ramseyer said getting together and doing the auction as a group effort helps create unity and a sense of community.

She said one of the unheralded ingredients in this event is the people who volunteer to create the cakes, many of whom do so freely and professionally.

“You look at our cake, and it’s beautifully designed and works our cheer uniform into it,” Ramseyer said. “It really represents the spirit we bring to what we do as a group.”

She said she and all the other student-athletes involved in this event are grateful to the booster club members and the community for showing such wonderful support for the West Holmes programs.