Strawberry Shortcake festival aims to sell 6,000

Strawberries. Whipped cream. \nBy adding in a pound of cake recipe mix, the Boys and Girls Club Auxiliary plans to sell some of the best strawberry shortcake around.\nThursday from 10:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. – or whenever the shortcakes run out – on the Monroe County Courthouse lawn, the group will be hosting the annual Strawberry Shortcake Festival to raise money for the Boys and Girls Club. \nLast year, $16,800 was raised to go toward program expenses for the club, along with other special events, such as Pumpkin Picks and Easter Egg Hunts. The festival is an opportunity to raise money to cover the expenses of the club, said Kerry Marks, director of resource development. \nWith long lines, a band playing and “lots of happy people sitting on courthouse steps eating strawberry shortcake,” Marks said the event is a great way to support the Boys and Girls Club in a social event that gives participants the opportunity to see friends and neighbors. \n“There is nothing like it. ... It’s a very pleasant way to spend an hour,” Marks said.\nKelly Grimes, one of the co-chairs of the festival, said each year more and more shortcakes are sold. Grimes said this year she expects a crowd of 3,500 people and hopes to sell 6,000 servings of strawberry shortcake.\nOn Wednesday, local businesses who cannot attend the festival were able to buy pre-sale shortcake kits.\nThe festival first began in 1986, when 500 shortcakes were sold. Now, with sales expected to reach more than 5,000, Grimes said the event is a great way not only to enjoy great food and company, but also to support the events the Boys and Girls Club holds throughout the year.\n“Everybody loves it,” Grimes said. “It’s an absolutely great time. There are so many parents with preschool kids enjoying shortcake and listening to the band. There’s also businessmen getting shortcake. ... It’s really neat.”