FORT RILEY, Kan. -- Every year, two Fort Riley volunteers are chosen to coordinate making about 1,500 apple pies for the annual Fall Apple Day Festival.
This year, Lauren Bolen, wife of Col. Thomas Bolen, commander of 1st Infantry Division Artillery, and Jane MacDougall, wife of Col. Mark MacDougall, chief of nursing officer at Irwin Army Community Hospital, have the responsibility of delivering those pies to festival attendees.
The duo was selected by board members of the Historical and Archeological Society of Fort Riley, a private organization that was formed by volunteers who preserve and maintain the history of Fort Riley.
"It's a huge team effort," Bolen said. "It's not just me and Jane. We have about 150 volunteers a day on average come in and help. The other HASFR board members are involved. We have Lady Troopers, JROTC cadets from Junction City and different offices on post help make pies. It's a total community effort."
Bolen and MacDougall will coordinate with a team of volunteers to prepare the pies to be sold. They have five days, starting Labor Day, to make the pies at the Culinary Lab. They work until the last day before the festival.
"Everyone takes a small slice of what needs to happen and by the time everyone does their piece it all comes together," Bolen said, no pun intended.
Along with the coordination, Bolen and MacDougall become the holders of the Libby Custer pie recipe.
"It's not exactly under lock and key, but we do try to keep it quiet," Bolen said.
The pie is only part of the fun at Apple Day. MacDougall recalled bringing her grandkids to the festival. Reenactors were shooting guns during the show, and it took her a second to realize she had never seen that before.
"I've never been to a military festival where they did that," MacDougall said.
Bolen lives across from Artillery Parade Field. She said she always enjoys when they land the helicopters and the other military vehicles are on display the week before in preparation for the static displays section of the festival.
"I love it when it is all set up," she said. "I don't get to see what my husband does every day. So to go and be able to crawl around in a Paladin for the artillery -- it was so cool. I think the helicopters are cool, but he is not an aviator so I don't often get to see them."
The queens shopped for the best deals on the ingredients for the pies including 42 cases of apples. Their sponsor, HyVee, donated most of the supplies necessary, and they are ready to begin.
"Everywhere I live, when I get involved, it feels like home instead of somewhere my husband is assigned," Bolen said. "It's a true community event. It helps spread the excitement if everyone gets involved."
Apple pie pickup will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 4 to 6 p.m. Sept. 9 at the Culinary Lab, 251 Cameron St. Pickup will also be available from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 10 at the festival. Pies not picked up Sept. 10 by 2 p.m. will be resold.
Proceeds from selling the pies benefit projects HASFR completes to preserve history of Fort Riley. To learn more about volunteer opportunities with HASFR, email hasfrvolunteering@gmail.com.
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