Whether you like cherry or apple, everyone seems to love a good piece of pie.
And Mama’s Pies, San Diego County’s largest annual bake sale, was a smashing success in its 20th year, raising more than $172,000 for Mama’s Kitchen’s critical medically tailored meal delivery services.
That is a whopping $27,000 more than the organization’s original $145,000 goal set for this year’s pie sale.
“Our community went above and beyond to make the 20th anniversary of Mama’s Pies special, by helping us exceed our fundraising goal to fund the preparation and delivery of more than 59,516 medically tailored meals for San Diegans with critical illnesses,” said Eva Matthews, Mama’s Kitchen CEO. “None of this would have been possible without the incredible support from all the bakers who volunteered their time and talent to bake these delicious pies, as well as all the Mama’s Kitchen volunteers and staff who helped assemble boxes, sort orders, and distribute pies.”
This year, more than 68 pie sellers across 19 pie teams amassed more than 3,000 total pie sales. The top pie-selling teams were Jack in the Box/Del Taco, Klinge Realty Group, and Volunteer with Cheli, while the top individual sellers were Neda Nourani, Dr. Matt Hubbard, and Steve Carnes.
In addition to pies baked by the likes of Jennywennycakes, Starry Lane Bakery, and Bahia Resort Hotel, this year’s Mama’s Pies featured a generous donation match from John Crisafulli, President & CEO of Behind the Scenes Catering and Events. Crisafulli and Behind the Scenes Catering and Events have participated in Mama’s Pies every year since its inception and this year they made a $10,000, dollar-for-dollar, donation match that helped the organization surpass its fundraising goal.
On top of pie purchases, San Diegans had the opportunity to donate money directly to Mama’s Pies through the “Holiday Feast” option that sent $32 straight to the organization. With the 20th year of Mama’s Pies now complete, Mama’s Kitchen has successfully raised more than $2.3 million dollars and sold more than 91,000 pies over the last two decades of the annual sale.
The 20th Annual Mama’s Pies Thanksgiving Bake Sale was made possible through the generous support of sponsors, including Sycuan Casino Resort, Scatena Daniels Communications, Behind the Scenes Catering and Events, and Shamrock Foods Company.
A special thank you is owed to all the bakers who participated this year, including Bahia Resort Hotel, Bear Buns, Behind the Scenes Catering, Hyatt Regency La Jolla, Jennywennycakes, Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego, Ocean Beach People’s Food Co-op San Diego Convention Center, Starry Lane Bakery, Sugar & Scribe, Sycuan Casino Resort, The Wild Thyme, Tinleaf Fresh Kitchen, and Travel & Leisure.
Mama’s Pies Thanksgiving Bake Sale will return for its 21st year in October 2025. If you’re interested in learning how to participate in Mama’s Pies 2025, either as a baker or a sponsor, contact Silvia Dominguez at silvia@mamaskitchen.org. For more information on Mama’s Pies and Mama’s Kitchen, visit mamaskitchen.org.
Mama’s Kitchen was established in 1990 by a San Diego caregiver who enlisted volunteers to prepare and deliver free meals to neighbors who were sick with HIV/AIDS and unable to cook for themselves. The organization realized that a reliable home-delivered meal service was needed to ensure that these individuals would continue to receive nutritious, life-sustaining food.
