Oswego State’s faculty and staff picked up their aprons and oven mitts to bake for a good cause this week for the 17th annual employee bake off to raise funds for State Employees Federated Appeal/United Way.

The bake off was held in Culkin Hall, coordinated by Cathy Johnston and The Point, in Marano Campus Center, coordinated by Shelly Sloan, over the span of three days.

SEFA allows for state employees to make charitable donations. A request was made through SEFA to make donations to United Way of Greater Oswego County.

“It all goes to a good cause,” Shelly Sloan, a SEFA committee member and coordinator, said.

United Way, a nonprofit organization, has 30 partner agencies that serve Oswego County. The donated money will go toward these agencies, Ali McGrath, resource development director of United Way of Greater Oswego County, said.

“We are always very appreciative of the efforts by SUNY in regards to our annual campaign,” McGrath said.  “We love to stand united with SUNY Oswego.”

Hospice, pet services and soup kitchens are a few of the places that will receive the donated money. 

“It’s to provide other services to people in the community,” Cathy Johnston, a SEFA committee member and coordinator, said. “The whole idea behind the SEFA United Way campaign is to benefit people within our community.”

Sloan said the need for bakers was put out to employees who worked within the buildings covered by each bake off. Baked goods were sold for two taste servings for $1 during the three-day event.

Held throughout the week in various buildings on campus, the bake off began Monday in Marano Campus Center.

Stephanie Guynn, an administrative assistant for the Center for Experiential Learning, placed first with her Not Your Mama’s Seven Layer Bars Monday. Sloan came in second with her mint chocolate cookies, and $144.35 was raised throughout the day.

Seventeen bakers participated in the second day of the bake off, which was held Wednesday in Culkin Hall.

Treats set out on a table for purchase included apple pie cookies, pumpkin sugar cookies and chocolate raspberry bites.

The bake off in Marano Campus Center raised $144.35, with Guynn winning with her “Not Your Mama’s 7 Layer Bar’s.” The Culkin and Mahar bake off results have not yet been announced.

All three winners will receive a three-piece springform baking pan set by Wolfgang Puck. In past years, the winners from the three buildings would compete again for a single winner, but this changed two years ago with all three of the winners receiving a prize, Johnston said.

As a competition, rivalries form in the bake offs usually between buildings, according to Johnston. She said Culkin Hall is usually the winner, raising the most money and she tries to recruit as many bakers as she can.

“This is just a really fun way to raise money,” Sloan said.

Photo: Kellsie Zacholl | The Oswegonian