Thank you to everyone who participated in the Pipestone Area Friends of the Library’s inaugural Bars for Books Fundraiser! From our talented bakers to the enthusiastic bar-tasters to the many PAFL volunteers, we couldn’t have done it without you. Over sixty people came to sample seventeen different bars, bedazzle books and notebooks, enjoy some accordion music, and raise money for new books. Between bar entry fees, general donations, bar voting money, and new memberships, PAFL raised over $1,500!
- First Place: Raspberry Almond Bars by Dorie Sendelbach with $94.25
- Second Place: Val’s Almond Bars by Jeanette Larson with $60.21
- Third Place: Chocolate Mint Bars by Bev Slinger with $53.23
- PAFL’s Choice: Chocolate Highlander Cookie Bars by Samantha Davis, who got her recipe from Strawberry Shortcake Murder by Joanne Fluke
- Closest to a Tie: Pecan Pie Bars by LaVonne Blom and Can’t Leave Alone Bars by Carrie Backer were only 2¢ apart!
- Honorable Mention: Caramel Bars by Sharon Wolff, Dutch Letter Almond Bars by Nancy Koets, and Heavenly Bars by Janine Aaland were all within $5 of Third Place!
We had two trivia questions for attendees to answer for a chance to win prizes. Congratulations to our winners Natalie Resch and Laurie Welu! Here are the answers:
- How many books did PAFL buy for the library in 2025: 209
- How much money did the Pipestone Community save in 2025 by checking out library materials instead of buying them: $541,644.58
We had so much fun with Bars for Books, thank you again to everyone involved! Now it’s time to start brainstorming and test-baking for next year…