Many special events, occasions and gatherings had to be canceled in this very unusual year of 2020. The list is long, but when one of them affects our “sweet tooth,” oh, that really hurts.

Since 2015, homemade cakes have been sold each September at Guinea Heritage Day, a prelude to the Guinea Jubilee. Both big events were canceled due to COVID-19 precautions.

The ladies who donated those hundreds of cakes did not bake cakes to be auctioned this year, but that doesn’t mean their ovens have been turned off. They are still baking, and if you are lucky enough to live close by, they are willing to share.

This is a story about three ladies, two sisters and a sister-in-law, all members of the Kellum family who have been making and donating cakes since the very beginning. They all were born and reared in Guinea. In the past, one lady’s cake brought $100 while another’s cake brought $90. Another sold before the auction for $50 so she made another to be sold on auction day. Their love ...