“Peak Ace cake-lovers, assemble!” – These were the words of Peak Ace’s wonderful Head of People and Culture (and star baker) Isabel Stoof on the 26th of October as she announced a very special upcoming event at the Peak Ace offices: our first ever Halloween Charity Bake Sale.
Social Responsibility at Peak Ace
At Peak Ace we have always been passionate about supporting causes and helping out in our community. In the past, we’ve volunteered with the Berliner Stadtmission, preparing and distributing meals to the homeless; we’ve painted corridors and planted gardens at a Mehrgenerationenhaus; and we’ve even taken part in a fun run for Kein Abseits!
This passion didn’t take a hit during Covid, either. In December, we arranged a company-wide winter clothes collection for the Berliner Kältehilfe. In March, some of our Peak Acers even took a company collection of resources and useful items to the Ukrainian border to support refugees.
So, when Isabel suggested we celebrate the spookiest day of the year with a charity bake sale in our Berlin office, Peak Acers were buzzing. We’re never ones to say no to an opportunity to get creative, have fun and do something for others in the process.
The Bake Sale
Our budding bakers spent the eve of Halloween baking up a storm. At 11am on Monday morning, October 31st, they were all ready with their cakes. Some were eaten up before the photographer could get a clean shot of them, but among the treats on offer were:
The Hills of Death by Marit | Spooky Cinnamon Rolls by Lea | Beasty Pumpkin by Isabel
Spooky Cupcakes by Julia | Death by Chocolate by Eva | Creepy Cookies by Ramona
And Finger Food by Florian!
The setup was simple but effective: Peak Acers baked spooky delights, named them, priced them and made signs with nutritional information. Those who didn’t bake faced the gruelling task of buying pieces of cake to taste. At the end of the day, our Peak Acers voted in a poll for their favourite bake. As an extra incentive, the winning bakers would get to choose which charities would receive our donations!
As the day went on, the bakers waited with bated breath to find out who would be crowned star baker, and who would be asked to leave the tent for good… Wait, no, that’s The Great British Bake Off. (We can confirm that no Peak Acers were asked to leave the premises).
The Results
At 3:30pm the survey closed. The voting was over. At 4:35pm, Isabel’s message reached our Teams group. The results were in:
26 Peak Acers voted, but there was only one winner.
Isabel’s Beasty Pumpkin Pie took first place with 23% of the vote
Marit’s The Hills of Death came in second with 19% of the vote
Julia’s Spooky Cupcakes placed third with 15% of the vote
However, the collective triumph of the day was the amount of money we raised for charity.
In total, Peak Acers donated €170!
The three winners were each awarded a sum of money to donate to a charity of their choice. Isabel won €90, Marit won €50 and Julia won €30.
Here’s what the winners had to say:
Isabel:
“I am both awkwardly touched and very happy that my pumpkin cake was such a hit. Sadly, not every Berlin local can enjoy such a hearty feast as we did today with lunch and cake. My donation therefore goes to Berliner Tafel, supporting social institutions and people in need by providing affordable food.”
Marit:
“That’s so nice, thank you ❤️ . I decided to help the animals, so I chose the Berlin Animal Welfare Association“
Julia:
“Woohoo Thank you all! As Marit already chose something animal-related, I wanted to choose an organisation helping migrants and refugees. I would like to donate my €30 to Give Something Back to Berlin.”
We could not be happier with how the day went, how many Peak Acers baked and donated, and how much money we managed to raise for three amazing charities.
Are you inspired? Why not make a small donation to one of the charities mentioned or organise your own charity bake-off among friends and family? If our Peak Ace Bake Off taught us anything, it’s that even a little can make a big difference.
About the charities
Our three winners chose some amazing charities to donate their wins to. Here’s some more information about these Berlin-based organisations and how you can help them
Berliner Tafel
The Berliner Tafel is a non-profit association which donates food to social institutions and people in need. They have a large number of volunteers who help them month after month by contributing their time, knowledge and passion to make a huge difference.
If you want to become a member of the Berliner Tafel, you can do so for a minimum contribution of €33 per year. However, there are also many other ways that you can help:
Thanks for reading more about the Berliner Tafel! For more information, go to their website or get in touch with them today.
Tierschutzverein für Berlin
The Tierschutzverein für Berlin was founded in 1841 as the “Verein gegen Tierguälerei” (“Association against Cruelty to Animals”). Since then it has only grown. In 2001, they opened in their current location in Falkenberg. Today, it’s officially the biggest and most modern animal shelter in Europe.
The work of the organisation focuses not only on caring for animals, but also on mobilising against cruelty in different ways. They fight for animal rights, fight against experiments on animals and breeding of animals for their fur, and against the cruel transportation of farm animals.
If you want to become a member of the Tierschutzverein für Berlin, it only costs €20 per year. However, there are many other ways that you can help:
Thanks for reading more about the Tierschutzverein für Berlin! For more information, go to their website or get in touch with them today.
Give Something Back to Berlin
Give Something Back to Berlin is an association that works to bring migrants, refugees and locals together. They aim to work towards a more open and inclusive society in Berlin. Founded in 2013, they have an active community of 5,000 volunteers and participants, working on 6 active projects. These are: Open Music Lab, Open Hearts Space, Open Music School, Open Languages Cafes, Open Kitchen, and a Community Hub.
You can get involved in many different ways:
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- Volunteer your time
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- Donate money
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- Join their events
To be kept up to date on Give Something Back to Berlin’s work, you can subscribe to their newsletter.
Thanks for reading about Give Something Back to Berlin! For more information, go to their website or get in touch with them by email at [email protected] today.
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