MANSFIELD - Ann Brown started organizing the famous St
Peter's bake sales when she was part of the school's parents club
That was 30 years ago and the bake sales and Brown are still going strong
The Mansfield resident is the driving force behind the bake sales
which last year raised $10,000 (Christmas Classic) and $18,000 (Easter bake sale) for the church-school community
Brown said the events raise much-needed funds for the church and school but the camaraderie among volunteers is what it's all about
bringing people together for something everyone can do
"Everybody feels very happy to be here
"I also feel it makes them healthier not only mentally and spiritually
but physically — because this is a lot of work," she said. 
The 30th Christmas Classic and bake sale runs 9 a.m
where there will be singing by students and crafts for sale
who is bake sale coordinator, and her loyal
dedicated and longtime volunteers worked this past week to make the poticas
Butter rings are baked Saturday so they are fresh out of the oven
stemming from fond childhood memories of when such treats were made with family members and enjoyed at the holidays
Peter's bake sales are an example of what America is all about
"I was blessed to come to this country and mine is a Cinderella story," she said
"They were unable to have children of their own," she said
"Walter (her biological father) asked me if I would like to be adopted and the decision was made by me and my family," Brown said
a younger brother and sister. I was 'dispensable.' 
and how little promise for a good future there was at that time in Communist Poland
I saw the depravity of that form of government and life  in comparison to the promise and hope America held."
"I arrived in the United States on Sept 23
knowing no English," she said. "I was enrolled in St
whose students and staff helped me so much with my language
I have always loved this school community."
Her adoptive father was in the Polish Liberation Army and was a displaced  person after the war
His uncle in Mansfield eventually sponsored him
which is how the family ended up here. 
"He had an interesting  history and was a very kind and generous man with a hard work ethic," Brown said
"He was a wonderful father and grandfather
He died about 15 years ago. His goodness inspired me to give back to this wonderful country."
"My mother and I helped my grandmother bake some of the cookies I make for the holidays. I learned  'trade secrets' from them," she said. "Otherwise I have been blessed to know through my involvement with the bake sales some outstanding bakers and cooks who made things from scratch."
Having had little to eat sometimes when she was little
Brown said she loves food and goodies
"The times we were treated to these were social times when family got together and we were grateful for our blessings. Those special feelings carried over and I love to make food and goodies for people," she said.  
Brown said she loves to learn about cooking and baking from the experts
still helps with all her projects at 94½ years old
She said these lessons have stayed with her
"I love to learn about everything," she said
"I love to organize and plan projects.  I started the first bake sale 30 years ago with Carol Chambers
who suggested the name Christmas Classic," she said
Brown said her mother Jenny and friend Molly Orsini have been with her since Day 1
"We were in Parents Club and wanted to raise money to do special things for the schools and students
the leadership of the parents club was very responsible in how funds were spent. From the first
we involved the entire school,  school children singing, crafts, people baking a variety of favorite holiday
baked goods, activities for children. It worked well. The community has been receptive and we have had to grow," Brown said.  
Brown said takes pride in having ethnic goods with the best-quality ingredients for the wonderful homemade taste, "like  grandma used to make
to evoke happy memories at this special time."
The active Brown works year round with Mansfield Sister Cities Association and with dignitaries and students she calls friends from Tamara City
She is also active with volunteers who work with children's theater at the Renaissance Theatre. She also enjoys swimming
She and husband Terry Brown have been married 45 years
Brown's mother worked Thursday to braid the poticas in what is a well-oiled assembly line in a corner of the St
"My daughter is a work horse and a good cook," her petite mother said when asked to describe her daughter
"She's always doing something and her hobbies are her grandkids."
Brown's mother said she and Ann make lasagna 10 large pans at at time at home and freeze them
Brown's 30-year bake sale colleague Orsini
butter and brown sugar for the poticas
She knows how to keep her volunteers happy and they keep coming back and everybody doesn't mind working for her
She's super-organized and no one could take this over
not in a million years and she's already done so much before we get here," Orsini said
who was dabbing egg whites with a small brush on the freshly rolled dough to ensure the nut mixture sticks
said Brown is fun to work for. "It feels like I've been coming here for 50 years," she said with a laugh
High school secretary Audrey Ralph said she began volunteering at the school's bake sales when she was in junior high and has known Brown for many years
"She can project her voice," she said with a laugh
Volunteer Kathy Stout said Brown does a lot more than people know for others
it's what you don't see," she said standing next to Brown's mother
Brown said by nature she is a self-sufficient person
"But all my activities cannot be done without the help of all the people who volunteer so much time, who work so hard, who are so kind and giving," she said.  
"I can buy all the ingredients but I can only make about 100 poticas in an entire day and that is with my mom's help — not  the over 1,000 we will make this year," she said
"I have been so humbled by all the amazing people who come to help and who work so hard. Being around them is like taking a happy pill — they are so inspiring and it feels great to be around them
The spirit of volunteerism in this community is outstanding."
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Polish generator manufacturer Fogo has launched its first ever mobile sets for the rental market at Intermat
showed a 100 kW model in Paris and will also offer 30
all featuring Perkins engines and using Stamford alternators
export sales representative at the company
told IRN that they had been encouraged by the response from visitors at the show; "We have had very positive feedback
so we want to start to promote the new range further.”
The company has around 50 distributors in Europe
Fogo has in the past focused on permanent gensets for standby and other industrial applications
but many of the dealers will start to target rental buyers with the new range
Fogo told IRN that Intermat was its launch for the French and African markets
It has already been selling gensets "to most European countries east of the UK-Croatia axis."
Fogo – the name comes from the slogan ‘Focused on generators only’ – makes around 1500 diesel gensets every year as well as 10000 smaller petrol gensets
Its manufacturing facility at Wilkowice is located in western Poland around 75 kilometres south of Poznan.