A pie in the face is a mere sacrifice for HCCC professors

Criminal Justice Professor Katie Stables is covered in pie during a pie toss at HCCC. (JOSEPH J. MEZZANINI / UDN)

HERKIMER, March 20, 2009 -- Fundraising can get a little messy at times, but throwing food around turned out to be more lucrative than selling it for the Herkimer County Community College's Criminal Justice Club.

The club, which is one of more than 40 clubs at HCCC, sponsored a pie tossing as a unique way to raise money to help offset the student portion of funds needed for trips to the Police Museum in New York City and other club activities.

Student and club president Angela Walker was looking for something to do out of the ordinary to raise some money and have fun at the same time.

"We didn’t want to do something like a bake sale for a fundraiser because we saw that one of the other clubs held (a bake sale) recently and it didn’t go over very well," Walker said. "So instead, we were hoping to get the criminal justice students involved in something fun for a change."

Criminal Justice professors Katie Stables and Dave Higgins volunteered to be the targets.

Higgins, who noted the worse part was having his ears full of pudding, said jokingly, "It gave the students a chance to get back at me for all the aggravation I cause them in class." 

Stables said she enjoyed seeing the students have fun - even if it was at her expense. "I'm so proud of the students for running the event so well," she said.

"My favorite part of it was when we had non-CJ students paying to throw pies at professors they didn’t even know," added Walker.

At last count, the event raised about $100 but donations still were coming in from those who couldn't attend the actual tossing of the pies.

"We didn’t make a huge profit," Walker said, "but the professors’ willingness to stand there for an hour to have pies thrown at them, and the students who were excited about getting a little revenge for a bad grade they were given, made everything worth it."