We think of sibling rivalry as a common aspect of family life, but there’s not a whiff of it between sisters Carrington Light ’98, M.S. ’04, and Whitney Light Rutz ’98.
There is, however, a big whiff of cinnamon.
The women, who are identical twins and residents of Portland, Oregon, joined forces during the pandemic in baking giant cinnamon rolls—each about a foot in diameter and weighing nearly 5 pounds when fully iced—with proceeds going to the Oregon Food Bank. (Initially the rolls were auctioned off. Then the sisters baked one cinnamon roll for each $500 donation to the food bank’s website, with the rolls delivered to frontline healthcare workers.)
"I have come to see that one person truly can do a lot of good. I have shared Whitney’s story time and time again over the past year … showing my students that when your heart is in a project, lots of good can happen."
Carrington Light ’98 Tweet This
“I needed a way to feel better at the beginning of this whole lockdown/shutdown,” said Whitney. “It started as a giant cinnamon roll for our family. After the feedback on social media, I wondered how much people would be willing to pay for such a thing. To my surprise, the first roll sold for $300.
“Within the first couple of weeks, it was clear I wasn’t going to be able to bake the rolls fast enough with the amount of donations we were receiving each day,” she said, adding that celebrities including kd lang and Portland Trail Blazers Coach Terry Stotts helped promote the project. “The weekend Carrington got involved, we had to bake 27 rolls, and they each take about four hours to make. I was so thankful for her help.”
All that baking was done in their free time: Carrington teaches 7th- and 8th-grade English at Riverdale Grade School, and Whitney is an analyst for Peraton, an IT firm.
It started as a giant cinnamon roll for our family. After the feedback on social media, I wondered how much people would be willing to pay for such a thing. To my surprise, the first roll sold for $300.
Whitney Light Rutz ’98 Tweet This
They’ve hung up their aprons for now, but not before raising $56,000 for the food bank. Donations came from all over the world, including many from Longwood alums.
“This project was Whitney’s baby, and I was honored to be a part of it,” said Carrington, adding that the best thing about the project was working so closely with her sister during a difficult time. “I can see Whitney’s gears turning—she’s already thinking about her next campaign and what organization will benefit.”
And the impact on Carrington?
“I have come to see that one person truly can do a lot of good. I have shared Whitney’s story time and time again over the past year … showing my students that when your heart is in a project, lots of good can happen.”
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