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Annual cheese ball sale benefits community

Photo

Photo by Kyle Bursaw

Janet Fugate, the vice president of the American Business Woman's Association, Park City Chapter, scoops the groups cheese ball recipe out of a large mixing bowl in a kitchen at Blackhawk Tech. The proceeds will go to scholarships and community projects.

JANESVILLE — Members of the local American Business Women's Association chapter are a cheesy bunch and proud of it.

Proceeds from their annual cheese ball sale have enabled the local group of businesswomen award more than $84,000 in scholarships and grants since 1985.

"We wanted to try a new fundraiser for our scholarships," said Sandy Hynes, president.

And they did after local member Judy Goth got a recipe from her sister's ABWA chapter in Indiana.

That first year, the women made 350 cheese balls at St. Mary's kitchen.

"We sold out right away," Hynes said.

Member Mary Lou Hainstock had to make a trip to Green County for more cheese so they could make more cheese balls.

The second year, they made 1,000 cheese balls and sold them all again.

One year, Hynes said, they made 2,500 cheese balls. And years since, they've made between 1,300 and 1,400 cheese balls. This year, they'll make 1,200.

The taste makes them so popular, Hynes said.

"They're terrific," she said.

So what's in them that make them so flavorful?

Hynes would only say it's a mixture of cheese, a blend of spices and some onion.

"It's a secret recipe we've never given out," she said.

After outgrowing the kitchen's equipment at St. Mary's, cheese ball manufacturing moved to Parker High School, then Craig High School and now to Blackhawk Technical College.

The project is so big 25 chapter members, their families and friends spent 12 hours over two days making cheese balls.

"We have anybody we can get come in and help," Hynes said.

"It's fun. We mingle, and we network while making the cheese balls, and you get the feeling it's really worth it when we get to give out our scholarships," she said.

At first, $500 scholarships were given. Later they were increased to $750, Haynes said.

Applications are available at any high school in Rock County plus at Blackhawk Technical College and UW-Rock County.

"Anybody should apply, " Hynes said.

"If you're a C student, you're just as able to get a scholarship as an A student. The whole group decides by number not by names based on working and life. It's the person, not always the grade that sometimes isn't reflecting abilities."