In advance of the Thanksgiving holiday, the Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance (MANNA) celebrated the launch of the 30^th year of its largest annual fundraiser, Pie in the Sky, on October 16^th at Lincoln Financial Field. Emceed by CBS3 Eyewitness News anchor Jim Donovan and joined by City representatives, local businesses and MANNA staff and supporters, the day was proclaimed Pie Day 2024 in Philadelphia. MANNA’s Pie in the Sky fundraiser brings together the Greater Philadelphia community to bake, sell, and distribute 9,000+ pies during the Thanksgiving holiday season. Funds raised through Pie in the Sky help provide hot Thanksgiving meals to MANNA clients and their families, as well as support MANNA’s year-round work preparing and home-delivering nutritious, medically-tailored meals to those battling critical illness throughout Greater Philadelphia.

Community members can support Pie in the Sky by purchasing pies for their own family, friends or colleagues; by becoming a pie seller and competing with other individuals and community groups to sell the most pies; and/or by donating pies to a local nonprofit partner. Pies are baked in MANNA’s kitchen in Philadelphia, cost $35 or $40 dependent on flavor, and can be purchased at mannapies.org now through Sunday, November 24th (or until pies sell out). This year’s pie flavors include Apple, Novick’s Pumpkin Pie of the Century, Pecan (Kosher), Blueberry (GF) and a specialty Salted Caramel Cheesecake pie (GF). All pie orders will be available for pick up on Tuesday, November 26th between 12 p.m. and 8 p.m. at one of MANNA’s 25+ pie pick-up locations throughout the Philadelphia area, Delaware and southern New Jersey.

“As we celebrate 30 years of Pie in the Sky, we reflect on the profound impact the continued support from our community has made in helping to nourish our critically-ill neighbors during the holidays,” said Sue Daugherty, MANNA’s CEO. “Together over the last three decades, we’ve baked, sold, and shared hundreds of thousands of pies with our neighbors, family, friends and colleagues to ensure the most vulnerable members of our community are nourished on Thanksgiving Day and beyond. Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey—your generosity helps us continue to fulfill MANNA’s mission to improve the health and quality of life for people with serious illnesses who need nourishment to heal.”

“Novick Corporation is honored to be the Leading Premier Sponsor for the 2024 Pie in the Sky event,” said Bill Novick, Vice President of Corporate Initiatives. “Novick partners with MANNA throughout the year to provide healthy meals to our neighbors in Philadelphia and firmly believes in the power of food as medicine. Novick Corporation is more than a food distributor in that we are focused on supporting mission-centered clients, many of whom nourish children or support communities in need. As we mark our 100^th anniversary, we hope ‘Novick’s Pumpkin Pie of the Century’ will bring your holiday guests a bit of the joy we have felt in celebrating our past and looking forward to our future!”

MANNA is thrilled to collaborate this year with the popular Philadelphia micro bakery, New June Bakery for its 2024 specialty flavor — Salted Caramel Cheesecake (GF).

“I am honored to be collaborating with MANNA on the specialty pie flavor for the 30^th anniversary of Pie in the Sky,” said Noelle Blizzard, owner of New June Bakery. “My love for MANNA‘s Pie in the Sky fundraiser goes back so many years, so it’s a full circle moment. This Salted Caramel Cheesecake recipe is so special to me, so I knew it’d be the perfect flavor for this very special milestone!”

MANNA is also seeking volunteers to staff pie pick-up sites and deliver pies on Tuesday, November 26th; if you’re interested in volunteering, contact Helen Kilmartin at hkilmartin@mannapa.org.

Thank you to our Pie in the Sky 2024 Sponsors! Novick Corporation is the Leading Premier Sponsor for the 2024 Pie in the Sky fundraiser. American Airlines is a Gold Sponsor. Pareto Health, Giant, Hamilton Lane, Instacart and The Honickman Foundation are Silver Sponsors.