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Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association doughnuts sell like hot cakes at Newdegate Machinery Field Days

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Cally DupeCountryman
Isolated Children's and Parents Association Lakes District members and IPCA donut stall co-ordinators Claire Walter, Tim Walter, and Lynette Gittos.
Camera IconIsolated Children's and Parents Association Lakes District members and IPCA donut stall co-ordinators Claire Walter, Tim Walter, and Lynette Gittos. Credit: Countryman

The sale of thousands of doughnuts has raised thousands of dollars for the Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association of Australia at this year’s Newdegate Machinery Field Days.

Each year, the doughnuts are whipped up by ICPA volunteers to fundraise for the voluntary group dedicated to ensuring rural and remote students have equal access to education.

ICPA Lakes District branch president Claire Walter said more than 40 people volunteered to help cook and sugar doughnuts during the two days, taking on two-hour shifts.

“This was probably our best year yet,” she said.

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“We sold out by about 2pm on the second day, which we don’t normally do. It was just so good to see people enjoying them.”

Mrs Walter said it took about two minutes for a batch of doughnuts to be ready for sale but the volunteers had the production line perfected to a fine art.

The doughnut batter is mixed and left to sit for a few minutes, before each doughnut is shaped and cooked in hot oil, before being removed and sugared.

“Once the oil is hot it is all systems go, and it is just full on,” Mrs Walter laughed.

“You don’t get a lot of time to talk to people because you are just so busy cooking and bagging up doughnuts.”

Mrs Walter has co-ordinated the stall for the past four years, and said this year’s bounty involved 150kg of flour, 15kg of cinnamon sugar and 100 litres of oil.

From the sale of almost 6000 doughnuts, the group raised about $5700.

They hope to boost that fundraising total to nearly $6000 thanks to a group of quilting enthusiasts from Pingrup who have donated a quilt that will be raffled.

“This is our one fundraiser of the year and it keeps us very financially sound. The doughnuts are all to thank for that,” Mrs Walter said.

Most of the funds raised are used to send ICPA members to Perth and interstate for the annual ICPA State and Federal conferences.

Mrs Walter said the funding meant the Lakes District “had a voice” within the organisation.

“We have local issues and we turn them into motions, and then those motions are taken to the conferences to be voted on,” she said.

“If they are voted on then they can be taken to politicians to fight for us.

“It is very important for us to be at the conferences to explain and speak to our motions.”

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