Twenty-five participants dove face first into pie Friday afternoon in a pie eating contest in Steinbach. In what has become an annual event, the contest raises money for South East Helping Hands.

Tom Doerksen of event host, Creative Print All says it was a delight watching this year's event. He says the twenty-five participants were each part of a team that put up one hundred dollars apiece to take part. The proceeds are then handed to the local food bank. The winner was the team from Deck Boys.

"I think it was a fantastic success," says Hank Klassen, Board Chair for South East Helping Hands.

But Klassen says the pie eating contest was only one part of the successful day. It all started with the annual Tin For The Bin, which involves volunteers taking shopping carts through the Pioneer Days Parade, collecting non perishable food items. Klassen says about 3200 pounds worth of food was collected.

"I'm hoping it will carry us over till the fall drive," says Klassen. "Because our shelves are very empty right now."

The third fundraiser happened at lunch when the Lions Club sponsored a meal to coincide with the pie eating contest. Klassen says 250 meals were sold at a price of $5 each. Proceeds from that lunch also go to the food bank.