PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Those who drove by North Street Plaza on Thursday might have noticed many things different about the Central Aroostook Chamber of Commerce’s annual strawberry shortcake sale.
This year’s date for the shortcake sale was changed from mid-June to Aug. 6, allowing the Chamber time to take note of how the COVID-19 pandemic affected restaurants’ social distancing measures for preparing and serving food.
Chamber and community volunteers took similar precautions, including wearing masks, sanitizing hands frequently and offering curbside pickup and deliveries. The majority of people who purchased strawberries opted to stay in their vehicles or order cases of shortcakes for their business.
Customers also were not allowed to eat on-site like in past years.
Though the long lines were missing from this year’s sale, Chamber director LaNiece Sirois noted on Thursday afternoon how busy the 45 volunteers had been before the sale’s official 10 a.m. start time.
“We sold 1,300 shortcakes before the event began and our end goal is to sell 2,500. So far we have served about 150 walk-up traffic and are looking forward to steady traffic until we sell out,” Sirois said.
Sirois said that due to the later date, people in Presque Isle and surrounding communities had been looking forward to the sale more than ever. Since the morning, volunteers had been making the delivery rounds at companies both near and far, including Presque Isle, Mars Hill, Ashland and Caribou.
Proceeds from the shortcake sale support the Chamber’s annual events, many of which have been modified or canceled during the pandemic this year.
“We’ve sent three different people with very full cars to Caribou,” Sirois said, noting some of the many large deliveries made throughout the day.
Like in previous years, the shortcake sale was the result of community effort, with Governor’s Restaurant providing the strawberries, cream and other supplies and Lowe’s donating masks, gloves and one gallon of hand sanitizer.
In a summer with few live events to attend, Sirois said that hundreds of people took the opportunity to enjoy a sweet treat and support local businesses.
“I think people have been looking for something to do,” Sirois said. “Typically, this is a late spring treat for them, but people are just as excited to have a later summer treat.”
