Woman bakes giant cinnamon rolls to feed Portland

  • 2020-05-08
A woman in Northeast Portland turned to her baking skills to keep herself occupied, and ended up raising 28,000 for the Oregon Food Bank.

Two of Whitney Rutz’s friends were diagnosed with COVID-19; she, her husband Paul and their 7-year-old daughter were self-isolating and Whitney found herself in a “hole of despair”. On March 14, she decided to lift her spirits and those of her family by baking a giant cinnamon roll.

Rutz made a cinnamon roll that was 3 inches deep and 12 inches across, a photo of which she posted online. When friends asked if she would bake them one too, she got an idea of how to help others; she would bake another cinnamon roll and auction it off on Instagram with proceeds going to the Oregon Food Bank.

Charitable organizations often employ banner printing services to promote fund raising events

She hoped to get $50, but it garnered $300. Another sold for $750 with the two people offering to match that bid and their employer agreeing to match them. From there it escalated as Rutz continued to bake and auction off her rolls with various companies matching bids. Niki agreed to three times match a roll that went for $1,215.

So far, Rutz has made a total of 55 rolls, and according to the Oregon Food Bank, raised and donated more than $28,000. She vows to keep baking to meet a goal of $35,000.