LIMESTONE, Maine — For nearly a quarter century, Limestone’s Preceptor Tau Sorority has made strawberry shortcakes in the Summer to benefit local organizations and projects.
Sorority member LouAnn Watt says 2017 marks their 24th year making the shortcakes, saying the event began as a way to help fund the sorority.
“We went into this 24 years ago, and picked our own strawberries and made homemade biscuits,” said Watt, “but the event got bigger and bigger, and we eventually hired someone to make our biscuits.”
Preceptor Tau and local volunteers still make the cream right in Limestone. The group made over 60 quarts of cream this year, and Watt says the sorority sells about 1,100 shortcakes annually.
The sorority has tied the shortcake festival closely to Limestone’s extensive list of Fourth of July festivities, which began on June 28 with a on open house at the local fire station.
In addition to funding 4th of July festivities, shortcake proceeds benefit several projects including the Maine School of Science and Mathematics, Main Street Banners and Wreaths, the Robert Frost Memorial Library, the Northern Maine Veterans Cemetery, the local Rotary, and the Hope and Justice project.
Watt added that some proceeds help battered women and that the sorority recently assisted a couple of local families going through financial hardships.
