Ariana Sanders

The I.D.E.A.L. Women NACWC recently held their annual bake sale outside of Shoemaker Square on USM’s Hattiesburg campus. The event featured a variety of baked goods, including cupcakes, sugar cookies, and chocolate chip cookies, all prepared by the members as part of a sisterly bonding activity the night before.
The preparation began with baking sugar cookies, followed by chocolate chip cookies and cupcakes with Halloween-themed icing. The baking session lasted several hours, with the group finalizing the treats late into the evening.
On the morning of the event, the women set up their table near the campus fountain, ready to sell the Halloween-themed treats. The bake sale, organized by fundraiser chair Marissa Heath, was considered a success, with a strong turnout despite some initial challenges. Over half of the baked goods were sold, and customers offered positive feedback on both the taste and festive decorations.
“We had a good time getting the goods baked and I feel like I was able to have a great time hanging out with my sisters,” Heath said. “The day of the bake sale was cold, but we were excited to sell what we had made. I’d say overall we had a great turnout, and we were able to get most of our items sold, even though the union double booked the same space with two different bake sales.”
The I.D.E.A.L. Women plan to host more events in the future, offering more opportunities for the campus community to enjoy their homemade treats.