This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
02/22/2017 08:20 AMAbout 15 years ago when Cheryl Panzo’s children were young students at St. Vincent de Paul School, the school hosted Anginette Wars. In 2015, as principal of the school, Panzo and teacher Debbie Borrelli decided to revive the fundraiser.
“It was a big hit and people were asking us to do it again, but the school closed,” says Panzo, who is now the principal of Our Lady of Mercy in Madison.
That wasn’t the end of the idea, however.
“I’m on the Rotary and we were looking for a fundraiser,” Panzo said of the contest’s continuation. “The whole thing was so fun and it’s great for the East Haven community to be able to keep that tradition going.”
Proceeds from the event benefit the Rotary Club, now in its 78th year, which supports the community with a variety of programs, including scholarships, Student of the Month, Amber Alert Identification Cards, Clothe the Children, Thanksgiving dinners deliveries, and Breakfast with Santa and the Easter Bunny.
Anginette Wars will be held on Thursday, April 6 at St. Vincent de Paul Church and even though it’s still more than a month away, there are already 30 bakers registered. Bakers not only will have their cookies on hand, but they also decorate their table with a theme.
“Everyone has an anginette recipe and says theirs is the best—everyone has their own spin with lemon, orange, anise, vanilla, and more,” said Panzo, who noted last year’s event drew 160 spectators. “Last year, the table that won was called ‘Viva Las Anginettes’ and was a roulette table with cookies instead of chips.”
The judges are Anthony Riccio, Missy Antonelli of Sweet Mary’s Bakery in New Haven, and Judy and Joy, identical twins who are featured on the Food Network. There are four ways to win a prize: best table and theme, best-looking cookie, most popular cookie, and judge’s choice. Judy and Joy will also emcee and livestream the event on Facebook.
With admission, spectators get to taste all of the cookies. They also receive 10 tickets to vote for their favorite cookies. In addition to cookies, there will also be hot and cold appetizers provided by Capotorto’s. There will also be a raffle for prizes like Yankees tickets and KitchenAid products.
Panzo is excited to be a part of the Rotary Club and to continue bringing Anginette Wars to her hometown of East Haven.
“It’s fun to see the competition and all of the people who attended had such a good time,” said Panzo. “As a lifelong East Haven resident and being of Italian descent, it makes me proud to show off the best of East Haven and proud to show how diverse the Italian community actually is. It’s a positive way to celebrate the community.”
The East Haven Rotary Club hosts its Anginette Wars fundraiser on Thursday, April 6 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. in the St. Vincent de Paul Church Hall, 80 Taylor Avenue. For tickets ($15), call 203-314-9342 or visit www.easthavenrotary.org.