Artfully created gingerbread houses will bring holiday scents and scenes to the McFaddin-Ward House Museum Dec. 2-7 – to benefit Buckner Children and Family Services.
The Golden Triangle Chapter of the Texas Chefs Association and the Lamar University Hospitality Program will sponsor the 2008 Gingerbread Charity Competition at the historic home museum’s visitor center, 1906 Calder Avenue at Third Street in Beaumont.
Events will include a competition, display and silent auction.
The public is invited to enter the contest, view the entries and bid to take a gingerbread house home, said Charles Duit, chef instructor in Lamar’s Department of Family and Consumer Sciences.
Entry rules and forms are available at the museum and are due Nov. 28.
Judging will begin at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2. Viewing and bidding will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, Dec. 3-7. Activities are open to the public without charge.
“Gingerbread house designers are invited to enter their creations in this no-fee competition,” Duit said. “Entries will be judged on degree of difficulty, artistic achievement, work involved and total appearance.”
A panel of three celebrity judges will determine the winners: Nell McCallum-Morris, a Buckner trustee; Diane Dean of the Dean Report on KBMT-TV, Channel 12; and Ashley Sanders, features editor of the Beaumont Enterprise.
Prizes will be awarded. These include first place, $100; second place, $75; and third place, $50, in the student division. A first place of $150 will be awarded in the non-professional division. A property division will feature a $250 first place, to be donated in the name of the property – or business – to Buckner Children and Family Services and a $150 prize to the chef.
“The public can view the culinary delights and enter silent auction bids to benefit Buckner Children and Family Services,” said Duit.
All gingerbread houses will be auctioned off by silent auction to the highest bidders, to be picked up after 9:30 a.m. Dec. 8.
Additional information and entry forms are available at from Duit at (409) 781-3477, email clduit@my.lamar.edu; or Donda Foran Thomasson, communications coordinator at the McFaddin-Ward House Museum, (409) 832-1906, email mailto:donda@mcfaddin-ward or visit the McFaddin Ward House website, www.mcfaddin-ward.org.
