The Easter gyro booth generates about $3,000, a large amount for a small parish and community. The majority of the proceeds go towards Social Services to help individuals and families who are struggling and need the support of Philoptochos.
The Chapter began the fundraiser a couple of years ago. Chapter President Maria Boyer said, “I wanted a fundraiser that involved food as the profit margin is better than other fundraisers for us.” The Philoptochos Chapter also runs their annual festival gyro stand. A team of ladies is involved in the preparation both before and during the fundraisers, procuring the essential food items and assembling the gyros. As you can imagine, it’s not just the parish that looks forward to these fundraisers but also the larger Winchester community.
Philoptochos is synonymous with baking but what if your Chapter did something a little bit different, like this Chapter in Winchester, VA. How about selling lobster rolls, cheeseburgers, or perhaps apple, cherry, or lemon meringue pie? The possibilities are truly endless but it’s best to cater to your parish and the surrounding community and create a fundraiser that will stick in their mind year after year.
Happy first day of spring everyone!
-Vivian Siempos
