THOMASVILLE — Brenda Wheatcraft wasn’t even planning to enter the 2024 National Gingerbread House Competition. Personal health issues had dampened her enthusiasm for participating in the annual competition, hosted by the Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville.
‘Maybe next year,’ she thought.
But last fall, as Hurricane Helene tore its way through the mountains of Western North Carolina, devastating Asheville and countless surrounding towns and cities — and forcing the cancellation of the gingerbread house competition — the 55-year-old Thomasville woman had a sweet change of pace. heart.
Instead of holding a contest, organizers invited participants from previous years to make gingerbread pieces for what would be called the Gingerbread Trail of Giving. Their artistry would not be judged professionally, but for six weeks it would be on display throughout Asheville – at the resort and at local businesses – as a way to bring hope and joy to a community that desperately needed a lift.
“That touched my heart and I felt like I wanted to contribute in some way,” Wheatcraft says.
“With the way my health is, I can’t go to Western North Carolina and just pick up a hammer and help rebuild houses, but I thought this was a way to help people’s hearts, by giving them hope and a to provide a feeling of security. healing.”
Wheatcraft was one of nearly 50 individuals who participated in the Gingerbread Trail of Giving. For about three weeks in November, she was up to her elbows in gingerbread, brightly colored gum paste and pastillage — an edible, sugary paste often used to decorate cakes — as she created a colorful, dazzling tribute to the resilient people of Western Europe . North Carolina. She titled the piece “Rebuilding WNC – Grace & Grit.”
“I wanted the piece to portray Western North Carolina being rebuilt and coming back even stronger,” Wheatcraft says. “Everything I made had a reference to that, and how people came together to help each other.”
For her piece, Wheatcraft defied the traditional winter backdrop for gingerbread houses and instead opted for an autumn setting, because that’s when Helene struck.
To emphasize its message of hope, the piece includes symbols of faith, unity and encouragement: the “WNC Strong” logo. A flag of North Carolina. A banner with the text ‘We ❤️ You WNC.’ A heart with the message ‘Gone But Never Forgotten’ – in honor of those who died in the storm – and even a rainbow bridge to commemorate the pets who died. A bulldozer and construction workers, representing the reconstruction taking place now.
References to faith are sprinkled throughout the piece, from people praying at the foot of a cross – a poignant reminder that those affected by Helene are still being prayed for – to Bible verses and a ‘God loves you’ sign.
Although Wheatcraft’s piece is a clear departure from the gingerbread house convention, it still adheres to the annual competition’s guidelines.
“Everything on the piece is edible, and most of it is gingerbread, except the characters,” she says.
Wheatcraft says she makes cakes for family and friends, and she thinks these skills have transferred into the realm of gingerbread houses. She first competed in the Asheville competition in 2023 and plans to compete in the 2025 competition.
In the meantime, she is especially proud of the piece she made this year. It was on display at the inn until last weekend, and she returned to Asheville to pick it up on Wednesday. She hopes (and believes) that those who have seen her creation have drawn inspiration from it.
“Hope and healing,” she says. “I hope it helps them see that when things happen the way they do, people can come together and help each other. They need to know that someone is always there for them.”
