Family Letter 2000

Dear Friends,
    Yes, those are walking canes we are holding in our hands. In Septermber 1998, eleven members of our family and one friend, embarked on an adventure. Driving one large van, we visited Utah, Nevada and Arizona. The culmination of this trip was a hike in the Grand Canyon. Eight of us made this "trek". We walked from the North Rim to the South Rim. This is a distance of approximately 26 miles. At times the temperature exceeded 100 degrees. All of the above, (except Madison and Mocha the dog) made the hike. Not pictured, but also hiking, were my son Jonathan, son-in-law Scott, and family friend, Jennifer Sipos. The age range of this group was thirteen to sixty-six.
    Everyone made it down to the overnight stay at Phantom Ranch. However, I became severely heat stressed the next day and had to be flown out by helicopter. What a memory! My trip to the Phantom Ranch infirmary in a wheelbarrow, surrounded and braced by pillows, using flashlights for headlights, is now a family "legend". No, things, did not go as planned, but as always, my family worked together and made certain their 66 year old mom was showered with love and concern.
    It is this same love and concern that makes our family business so enjoyable. Whatever the adversity or challenge, we constantly try to uphold the integrity, quality, and tradition of our cookies. Despite the economic pressures to mechanize our business, we still make our cookies the same way my mother did, using rolling pins and cookie cutters. This is not a smart way to make a product. However, we want our cookies to be unique and special. So often our customers tell us "Your cookies are a holiday tradition in my family" or they say, "It's just not Christmas until I have your cookies". Well, we treasure those comments. They are the cornerstone of our business. While other companies have bowed to technology and make their Moravian cookies by machine, our family stands by our old fashioned process. So remember, if it doesn't say Hand-Made, it isn't. If it doesn't say Mrs. Hanes' Moravian Cookies, then they aren't the best. Our desire is to make a cookie worthy of becoming part of your family's traditions. We, (quite modestly) want to be "legendary".
Sincerely,
    Evva Hanes