It takes a village to raise a fundraiser as sweet as this

Troy Shantz How long does it take to turn sap from maple trees into maple syrup? “About eight cases of beer,” says Jack Lea. Lea is among a group of Point Edward seniors tapping the village’s maple trees and selling the syrup for a good cause.

Troy Shantz

How long does it take to turn sap from maple trees into maple syrup?

“About eight cases of beer,” says Jack Lea.

Lea is among a group of Point Edward seniors tapping the village’s maple trees and selling the syrup for a good cause.

They go by the name Point Edward Gold, and in the past two years they’ve collected enough sap to produce 60 bottles of syrup and raise $1,000 for the Inn of the Good Shepherd and St. Joseph’s Hospice.

Lea and John Kirby, Dick Williams and Terry Ashe launched the operation after acquiring some used equipment from an out-of-town microbrewery.

During a season that runs from mid-February to mid-March, they and a platoon of 15 volunteers go out and collect the sap daily and bring it back to Lea’s backyard for boiling.

“The best time is really cold nights and warm afternoons — that makes the sap run,” Lea explained.

This year’s syrup crop sold out with individual bottles fetching donations of $10 to $20. They have customers in Toronto, Niagara, the state of Georgia and one in Malaysia.

“We’re going international!” Lea said with a smile.

The boys are seeking even more trees for next year’s sugaring off, and while sugar maples work best because of their higher sugar concentration, syrup can be made from any species of maple tree.

Point Edward Gold provides the spigot and organizes the sap collection.

“We’re in and out and you don’t even know we were there,” Lea said.

One recruit is nine-year-old Ava Lucas. She said she enjoys helping lug the buckets but her favourite part is sampling the finished product.

If you’d like to help out, or have a maple tree for tapping, call Jack Lea at 519-336-2084.