A semiannual event, the Emmaus Moravian Church’s sugar cake and love feast bun sale is a pleasant addition to the preholiday season.

Recently, workers met at the Emmaus Moravian Church, 146 Main St., to mix, knead, shape and bake 16 batches of cakes and buns. The result was 198 sugar cakes and 60 dozen love feast buns.

That’s a lot of dough.

Melissa Heckman, event organizer and hands-on baker, has a lifelong connection to the Emmaus Moravian Church. For many years her mother has baked the love feast buns served at church festivities. By working with her mother, Heckman mastered the skills required to create large quantities of delicious sugar cakes and love feast buns.

Along with a number of other volunteers, some with decades of experience, Heckman employs these skills in support of Camp Hope, a Moravian camp located in Hope, N.J.

All proceeds from the sales benefit the camp; they often provide camp scholarships for children, both church affiliated and outside referrals.

As described on the camp’s website, “Camp Hope is the year-round conference and retreat center for the Eastern District of the Moravian Church.” Last year’s COVID-19 restrictions required the camp to temporarily discontinue overnight outings. Therefore, the funds raised through Moravian sugar cake and love feast bun sales in 2020 were donated for camp maintenance and improvement.

“[Supporting] Camp [Hope] is … my passion,” Heckman said.

For those who missed the most recent sugar cake sale, the good news is there will be another sale in February 2022. The good news for the campers is, barring new restrictions, camperships will again be available.

All things considered, the Emmaus Moravian Church’s sugar cake sale is a very sweet deal.