From peeling apples to packing pies, the third annual McNair Scholars Piepalooza was a winning mixture of ingredients that included community support, student volunteer efforts and the spirit of service in helping others.

Piepalooza was one of numerous student-led activities held to benefit the community during the holiday season.

In the kitchen of St. Thomas Episcopal Church the Friday before Thanksgiving, McNair Scholars operated hand-cranked machines that peeled seven bushels of red and green apples for some of the 200 pies slated for delivery to local charities and community agencies.

While the apples were being peeled, nearly two dozen volunteers were mixing ingredients that included 200 pounds of flour, 68 pounds of sugar, six cups of sugar-free sweetener and 20 pounds of shortening, as well as 100 cans of cooked pumpkin, 75 cans of cherry pie filling and 80 large cans of evaporated milk. Also used in the pie-baking marathon were 50 pounds of butter, 25 dozen eggs and 200 pie plates and pie boxes.

“Each year they have this pie-baking effort, and I come to help,” says Matt Stieglitz, AS ’09, a communication major. “It’s all about helping others and having fun.”

As the pies cooled, they were wheeled out to the packing area, where a table of McNair volunteers were folding boxes for deliveries to such local agencies such as Meals on Wheels-Newark Senior Center, Emmanuel Dining Room, Food Bank of Delaware and the Ronald McDonald House. Donors include Acme Markets, Wawa, Super G, Pathmark, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Safeway Stores, U.S. Foods and Wal-Mart.

“It’s a cooperative event between the community and local suppliers, which has continued to grow each year,” Maria Palacas, program director in the Office of Undergraduate Studies, says. “It’s meaningful for both the students and the individuals who will receive the pies. Piepalooza is a well-oiled machine, and it is indeed the spirit of McNair love that makes the whole thing work.”

The Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program honors the African-American astronaut who died in the explosion of the Challenger space shuttle in 1986. The University’s Undergraduate Scholars Program, which helps students from diverse and disadvantaged backgrounds get accepted into graduate programs of their choice and obtain funding, is modeled on the McNair program.