Nearly every Thursday for the last 18 years, Ruth Gogolin has arrived at The Center in Brainerd under the cover of early morning darkness.
Gogolin, 86, and several other volunteers begin working before 4 a.m. to prepare for the onslaught of customers fiending for the senior center's famous doughnuts. Gogolin's assigned task is to apply frosting to the fried morning treats. She's in charge of the cream cheese frosting, which she said is one of the more popular varieties.
"We just keep frosting as long as they keep buying," she said.
On Thursday, The Center sold about 200 dozen doughnuts, Gogolin said, of which she estimated fewer than half of them were adorned with the cream cheese frosting. It's likely Gogolin has frosted at least a half-million doughnuts over the course of her volunteer work.
This week is Gogolin's last on the doughnut crew, however. The active senior volunteer is ready to sleep in-a little later at least-on Thursdays. She plans to keep busy with many other volunteer activities, however, including with the Brainerd Public Library, Crow Wing County TRIAD and RSVP Volunteer Services.
ADVERTISEMENT
So what will Gogolin remember most about her doughnut days?
"Just the fun we had," she said, "and we did have fun."
CHELSEY PERKINS may be reached at 218-855-5874 or chelsey.perkins@brainerddispatch.com . Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DispatchChelsey .
