It was a delicious race to the finish at the inaugural Cinnamon Bun Challenge on Sunday, March 23 at Aggie Hall in Ladysmith. Nineteen teams competed in the event, put on by Old Town Bakery and the Ladysmith Downtown Business Association, that challenged teams of four to eat an eight-pound (3.6-kilogram) cinnamon bun the fastest. In the end, it was the team from Bayview Brewing who gobbled up the competition and took home the top prize.
Funds were still being counted at press time, but the event had already brought in more than $12,000, with proceeds going to the Ladysmith Resources Centre Association Food Bank.
Kate Cram of Old Town had a challenge of her own during the event; to keep her emotions from taking over. Cram, who owns and operates Old Town Bakery with her partner Geoff, found the whole event pretty emotional.
"I just love that there's so much excitement and that we're bringing communities together," said Cram. "I feel like my superpower is feeding people, and everybody today in this room is helping feed a lot of people. It just makes me really emotional because it's such an important thing that our community needs right now."
Old Town is a regular supporter of the food bank program, and the Cinnamon Bun Challenge offered yet another way to help meet the growing need the food bank addresses. Along with the funds raised and a whole lot of community spirit, the LRCA Food Bank also took home a truckload of eggs donated by one of the competing teams, Farmer Ben's Eggs.
All the good feelings and intentions aside, once the timer started, the competition got fierce. Luckily referees were on hand to keep the all-in-good-fun shenanigans under control. The team from Old Town Bakery was given a red card and removed from the competition after one competitor was caught sliding chunks of cinnamon bun into her purse instead of eating it. Two teams competed from Oceanview United Church — one adult and one youth. The adults garnered a yellow card for attempting to transfer some of their giant cinnamon bun to the youth team's plate.
Even with a room full of sugar-charged competitors, event emcee Brianne Mactier kept things running smoothly with her trademark charm and quick wit.
The champion team from Bayview Brewing ate up the competition and finished first. One team member even bragged that he could go for another bun but the team spirit stopped short of that idea. When asked what the hardest part of the competition was, the team agreed it was the icing. All that sweetness in such a quantity was almost their downfall but they persevered.
When asked what the rest of their day looked like now that they each had at least two pounds of baked goods in them, the team pulled themselves out of their collective sugar coma to proclaim, "We're going to go have a beer!"
Bayview Brewing wasn't the only winner. ABC Recycling's Buns of Steel team won Most Funds Raised, bringing in $3,400 from their team alone.
Dressed for the season as bunnies, the team from Ladysmith Family and Friends (LAFF) took home Best Dressed. While it was a close race, the youth team from Oceanview United Church was awarded Most Enthusiastic, while Chopstix Salon won Crowd Favourite.
Cram wrapped up the event by thanking the crowd and competitors for the incredible turnout and promising to find a larger venue next year to accommodate more spectators. She’d done her best to hold back tears throughout the day, but as she closed out the event, the emotions finally took over. The hall, she said, was absolutely filled with love — fitting, since Old Town has always claimed that its secret ingredient is love.
It may have been the first Cinnamon Bun Challenge, but with its giant success, it won’t be the last, so teams may want to start preparing for next year. The training is gruelling, but the rewards of community and full bellies for all are well worth it.
