Students in the Linden High School Peer Pals class hosted an epic – and messy – pie-eating contest on Wednesday, Nov. 1, to promote their annual Thanksgiving pie sales.
The contest had preliminary rounds for students, staff and administrators.
The winners of those rounds faced off in a championship round for the trophy. The big winner was Vice Principal David Walker.
A close second was history teacher Eric Sheidemann, who was awarded the trophy for best mess.
This is the first year for the contest, but the Peer Pals have been selling pies for 16 years, since the beginning of the Tale of Two City project, which fosters a special relationship between Linden High School and Allen High School in Allen, Texas.
Students and staff in Allen reached out to Linden shortly after 9/11 in a gesture of compassion and support, and the two schools have been close ever since.
Students from each school have visited the other on numerous occasions.
Proceeds from the pie sales will go toward the travel costs of the two schools. The pies are $12 apiece and can be ordered from a Peer Pals member or by contacting Linden High before Nov. 15.
Pies will be delivered Nov. 22. They are coming from Pinho’s Bakery in Roselle, which also supplied the pies for the contest.
Other sponsors of the contest included A&B Promotions, which supplied T-shirts to the contestants, and West Hudson Industries, which supplied trophies for the winners.
The contestants were:
Boys: Senior Nick Moreno, junior Austin Urban, freshman Pierry Gabriel.
Girls: Junior Samantha Olbrys, junior Tamera Thorne, freshman Nicole Restrepo Malczynska.
Staff (two rounds): Kate Walker, Eric Scheidemann, Belinda Pond, Greg Stier, Lakhia Carter, Ryan Devaney, Mike Pekosz. Administrators: Vice Principals David Walker, Kevin Thurston, Lizzie Ortiz and Frank Bandinelli, and Principal Yelena Horre
Championship Round: Scheidemann, Olbrys, Stier, Walker, Moreno
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Photo captions:
1. Linden High School Vice Principal David Walker was the big winner in the Peer Pals pie-eating contest. He is shown here with judge Patricia Gergely.
2. History teacher Eric Sheidemann, left, was a close second to Vice Principal David Walker, right. Scheidemann was awarded the “best mess” trophy at the Peer Pals pie-eating contest.
3. Linden High School administrators after their preliminary round of the Peer Pals pie-eating contest. From left are Vice Principals David Walker and Frank Bandinelli, Principal Yelena Horre, and Vice Principals Lizzie Ortiz and Kevin Thurston.
4. Linden High School junior Samantha Olbrys after the finals of the Peer Pals pie-eating contest. 5. Greg Stier and Lakhia Carter during the staff round of the Peer Pals pie-eating contest.
6. Kate Walker, Eric Scheidemann and Belinda Pond digging in during the staff round of the Peer Pals pie-eating contest.
7. Junior Samantha Olbrys, sophomore Tamera Thorne and freshman Nicole Restrepo Malczynska digging in during the girls round of the Peer Pals pie-eating contest.
8. The start of the championship round of the Peer Pals pie-eating contest. From left are history teacher Eric Sheidemann, junior Samantha Olbrys, English teacher Greg Stier, Vice Principal David Walker, and senior Nick Moreno.