Members of Emerge, a Management 100 team, stood outside of Starbucks on Saturday holding pies, not books, in their hands.
Emerge's goal -- to help generate money for the nonprofit organization Metropolitan AIDS Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance -- came one step closer to realization through a pie-tasting event at the Starbucks on 34th and Walnut streets to promote MANNA's annual fundraiser, "Pie in the Sky."
MANNA is an organization that provides free meals for families and individuals affected with HIV/AIDS. Each pie sold during Philadelphia's seventh annual Pie in the Sky fundraiser provides a full Thanksgiving meal for a family of four.
On Saturday, Emerge members set up a table displaying order forms, collection boxes and the five different pie choices -- old-fashioned apple, southern pecan, pumpkin, sweet potato and "Strike-it-Rich," a combination of cheesecake, pecans and chocolate.
Throughout the event, which lasted from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Emerge members walked around holding trays of pie samples, encouraging people to taste them. While some took a sampler and walked away, others lingered to learn about the fundraiser.
"I never heard of MANNA before," Psychology Professor Ben Backus said. "It seems to me like a really worthwhile thing to donate money to."
In order to attract attention, a boom box was set up playing upbeat music. The a cappella group Dischord made a guest performance as well. In addition, all 12 members of Emerge wore aprons printed with the Pie in the Sky logo, and one member even sported a pie hat.
With a record 10,000 pies sold last year, Emerge has been working to help MANNA sell a new record of 12,000 pies.
Emerge member and Wharton freshman Tara Reddy was very enthusiastic about the cause. "Twelve thousand pies, oh my God," she said.
"No one believes that we're actually going to sell that many, but I think we will."
In addition to the pie-tasting event, Emerge will be participating in a 48-hour bake-a-thon held at Bucks County Technical High School during which 7,200 pies will be baked and packaged.
Diane Eilbacher, director of special events for MANNA, said that Emerge helped MANNA put together a marketing plan and will be performing a statistical analysis to determine how many pies will be sold.
"We've been trying to get some young, fresh ideas from them," she said.
Pie in the Sky's sponsors include Commerce Bank, Starbucks and Freshgrocer, which donated ingredients for the pies. According to Bill Nies, store manager of the Starbucks located at 34th and Walnut streets and former MANNA volunteer, this is Starbucks' third year sponsoring Pie in the Sky.
Pies will be available to be picked up the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving in 20 Philadelphia locations.
