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60th Anniversary Cake

by | Jun 18, 2014 | Blog | 0 comments

In a 2014 expedition to Jironkota to build greenhouses, María Blanca (with our counterpart organization Mano a Mano Internacional) found out during the long drive that one of the couples was celebrating their SIXTIETH wedding anniversary! She couldn’t believe that people would do that. She wanted them to at least have a cake and recognition of such an amazing milestone.

Jironkota
Jironkota (Mano a Mano clinic on the far right; Mano a Mano greenhouses – with yellow tarp – on far left)
Mano a Mano travelers in Jironkota on our 'Food and Farming' Trip in March 2014.
Mano a Mano travelers in Jironkota on the ‘Food and Farming’ Trip in March 2014.

She had planned to make buñuelos (like a donut or fritters) and had enough flour with her. The two major problems were no eggs and no oven! She went door to door around the village, scrounging two eggs from one teacher and another from another teacher. She made a small cake in a pan on a stovetop and decorated it with a smiley face made from borrowed gringo chocolate bars. Oh, and she had to make it in the middle of the night while everyone slept on the floor of the Mano a Mano clinic.

Maria Blanca with the 60th anniversary cake.
Maria Blanca with the 60th anniversary cake.

The happy couple were literally asleep at her feet as she concocted her loving anniversary cake. When we traveled to Chicago to meet with some donors, we realized the legendary cake story had already gone viral among friends of Mano a Mano. Dick and Florence, a couple that splits time between Chicago and Florida had already heard the story and beamed with delight as they met Maria Blanca.

Blanca (red dress) with Mano a Mano staff at our 20th Anniversary Celebration in April 2014.
Blanca (red dress) with Mano a Mano staff at our 20th Anniversary Celebration in April 2014.

These kinds of stories happen frequently, and demonstrate the commitment and dedication of Mano a Mano’s staff and volunteers; going the extra mile is what allows us to do so much on a small budget and with a small staff.

We truly appreciate everything they do!

Thanks Tracy Gittins for sharing this story.

30 Years of Mano a Mano, 30 Years of Stories

Mano a Mano is celebrating 30 years in operation in October 2024!

Over the coming months, we will highlight some of the stories (like this one) that make and have made Mano a Mano’s collective impact possible. This post will be the hub for these stories. If you have a story you would like to share – an experience volunteering or traveling with Mano a Mano, a favorite story you heard or saw about Mano a Mano’s work or a Mano a Mano project, etc. – we would be happy to feature it! Send your stories (a couple photos or a video is great to include) to [email protected].

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