MUSKEGON, Mich. — A Muskegon tradition pits fan against fan as the Big 10 Football matchup between the University of Michigan and Michigan State nears.
The 'cookie poll' at Ryke's Bakery will mark its 13th anniversary this football season with competition often as fierce as it is on the gridiron.
“It's the battle between two of the big college superpowers, and in our bakery world, we recreate that here with our cookies,” Executive Chef Adam Bell explained.
The annual contest amounts to nothing less than pastry pandemonium.
Ryke’s said, in a typical year, it may sell as many as 3,500 of the themed, frosted sweets over a period of several days.
Either way the cookie crumbles on gameday, the real winner is the community.
“Being a member of the community means being involved in the community's needs,” Bell said. “We donate all the proceeds.”
It will be a fight both sides can cheer on.
The poll raises several thousands of dollars annually for Trinity Health’s Comprehensive Breast Center in Muskegon.
“Every little cent just helps us save lives, literally lives here in Muskegon County,” Trinity Health’s Melissa Chittenden, a registered nurse explained. “Every day, somebody is newly diagnosed with cancer. This just helps us guide them along.”
There may or may not, Ryke’s said, be a secret strategy patrons use to help their chosen team prevail.
“11 out of the 13 years, whoever wins the poll loses the game,” Bell revealed. “So if you're a Michigan fan, you might want your cookie pole to go green.”
The cookies, produced with licensing agreements with both universities, will go on sale Monday, October 24.
The bakery also offers patrons the option to pre-order through Monday.
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