Now here’s a parent group that may inspire some folks. The Parent Teacher Union (PTU) at the St. Anthony of Padua School in Lorain, Ohio kicked off its signature fundraiser this week with plans to earn about $50,000 for the school by making and selling 100,000 pierogi. Yes, 100,000 dumplings that get stuffed with a choice of filling—potato, cheese, or sauerkraut. Just imagine the scheduling challenges of lining up a few hundred volunteers to pull this off!

In our profile of the St. Anthony’s fundraiser, we talked to parent group leader Andrea Miceli, who said that while this operation is certainly a big moneymaker, the real importance of the program is how it fosters a sense of community. Volunteers have been making pierogi for more than two decades. Through the years, parents, students, staff and community members have worked together for the common cause of improving the school. “It gets us through the winters,’’ Miceli says.