Graduation is certainly an event that one remembers throughout one’s life. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused many graduation ceremonies and event across the world to be either cancelled or postponed.
In such demoralizing and despondent times, Bill Hanisch, the owner of the Hanisch Bakery and Coffee Shop in Red Wing, Minnesota decided to cheer up all the graduating seniors in his town. And what was the plan that he had? Baking some free cakes for each of the 200 graduating seniors!
“Our seniors are going to be missing out on so much, so many opportunities and events, that I just felt like I needed to do something. And cake makes people happy,” Hanisch told CNN.
So, he decided to perform this random act of kindness – baking two-layered, 7-inch cakes decorated in purple and white – the school colours.
And doing so was certainly a cakewalk for Hanisch, who has been working since over two and a half decades at the bakery, which originally belonged to his parents.
Now, the Hanisch Bakery is popular in Red Wing, which is a rural town on the banks of the Mississippi River. Soon enough, word spread across the neighbouring towns in Minnesota and Wisconsin about this wonderful gesture of Hanisch.
And quickly, Hanisch was inundated with calls from schools, private benefactors, and other businesses wanting to buy cakes for high school graduates.
And as it stands now, Hanisch Bakery will deliver cakes for 12 schools and around 800 graduate students in the first week of June!
“The emotion didn’t hit until other towns started wanting to do it. To see the support that we got from the community and some donations to help us with this… It leaves me speechless,” Hanisch said, overwhelmed.
And with the outpouring of support that Hanisch has received from his community, all the 21 employees of his bakery have their hands full with work and Hanisch did not have to lay off any one despite the tough times.
Also, the man with the golden heart that Hanisch is, he is charging only for ingredients and labour and is not making a profit on any of the cakes.
Hats off to Bill for this heartwarming gesture! What do you say?
