Nine-year-old Mackenzie Daly did her part on Tuesday in contributing to the democratic process, handing out brownies and fudge to hungry voters at Thomas R. Plympton Elementary School.
The Plympton fourth-grader had accompanied her mom, Noelle Daly, meatball-maker extraordinaire, to drop off 200 meatballs for the school PTO's annual election day bake sale, and decided she wanted to help out.
Her job, she said, giggling, was making signs, taking money and helping customers.
"The brownies are the most popular (dessert)," she said.
Fortunately for the Plympton Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization, voters brought their appetite to the polls.
The bake sale, which is the group's biggest fundraiser for its $1,000 scholarship to a Waltham High School graduating senior (who must be a Plympton alum), has become an election day tradition.
Every year, it gets bigger, said Cindy Boudreau, co-president of the Plympton PTO who helped organize the event at 20 Farnsworth Road.
A few years ago, the PTO held the bake sale at the Recreation Department at Prospect Hill Park, but they were too busy, so City Clerk Russ Malone asked them to move it to a bigger location, at the Government Center Building on School Street, she said.
The Plympton location is the best yet, Boudreau said.
"The presidential and mayoral elections are the biggest. This year, the voters seem (to come out) more for the councilor-at-large race," said Boudreau.
The big stream of voters came at lunch time, followed by the two o'clock crowd and voters who came after work, she said.
By 6 p.m., the PTO had nearly reached its $1,000 goal, Boudreau said.
The biggest seller, she said, "is tough to say," but Daly's meatball subs were certainly a smash.
"I told her she's on retainer for the next couple years," Boudreau said.
Daly, who works for Classic Catering in Waltham, said she was happy to help out.
"Parents have been absolutely wonderful donating their time and food, and local businesses really helped us out, which is awesome," said Boudreau.
Area businesses, like Waltham Pizza, Bruegger's Bagels and Pizzeria Uno donated pizza, chili, bagels and other foods, "which really boosted sales," she said.
Other companies donated goods to raffle off in one of 14 raffles.
The raffles included: La Campania Restaurant, $100 gift certificate; Vino Italiano Wine Shop, $100 gift certificate; Elephant Walk Restaurant, $100 gift certificate; Fall Basket (food, wine and more); Sports Basket (Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins items); Wagon Wheel, $15 gift certificate; Mass Audubon, 1 year membership; The Butterfly Place, $35 gift certificate; Reagle Players, 2 tickets to "It's Christmas Time"; Ihop Restaurant in Watertown, $15 gift certificate; Museum Pack - 2 passes each to Children's Museum, Discovery Museum and Plimoth Plantation; Randy's Car Wash - 6 passes; More Than Words, $20 gift certificate and a Hair Care Basket by Bella Hair.
Boudreau also thanked local businesses that gave food for the sale: Pizzeria Uno's in Waltham, Waltham Pizza, Dunkin Donuts, Stop & Shop, Shaw's, Bruegger's Bagels in Lexington and Costco.
Joyce Kelly can be reached at 781-398-8005 or jkelly@cnc.com
