Our fastnachts are unique," said Betty Mahan, a member of the fastnacht committee at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Columbia. "These are handmade, not made by a machine, so no two are alike. It's just like stars - each one is unique."

Holy Trinity will host its 100th annual fastnacht bake beginning Monday, Feb. 12. The sale will continue on Tuesday, Feb. 13, and on Mondays and Wednesdays for the next four weeks, wrapping up on Wednesday, March 13.

"We call them 'a little bite of heaven,'" said committee member Paul Resch.

Added committee member Jim Knapp, "They're so good. They are different than doughnuts because they are made with potato and yeast. We fry them in vegetable oil, and then we serve them by the dozen, plain or glazed."

Over the several weeks of the sale, hundreds of volunteers will create the fastnachts, and the organizers are always looking for additional help.

"We especially need help with rolling," said Mahan. "There's a certain way you roll, and if they are not rolled right, everything does downhill."

She noted that no experience is necessary to volunteer. "There are people here who have been doing this for a long time, and they'll teach volunteers," she said. "It's on-the-job training."

Shifts begin as early as 4 a.m., but help is particularly needed beginning about 7:30 or 8 a.m.

"You don't have to commit for a long shift," Mahan said. "You can come for an hour or two."

Committee member Karen Sahd oversees volunteers who come in the night before each bake to prep the dough using the 100-year-old recipe.

Resch estimates that volunteers will make 6,300 dozen fastnachts this year - or more than 75,000.

"That puts it in perspective, 75,000," he said. "You could fill a football stadium and give everyone a fastnacht."

Church members put together a history of the fastnacht bake in honor of the 100th anniversary, and Resch shared a little bit about the first bake.

"In 1924, they had a fastnacht social," he said. "It wasn't a takeout sale. People came into the church, and there was dancing, and they raised $615 toward the construction of our new church, which broke ground in 1926. In today's prices, that's over $11,000."

Proceeds from the fastnacht sale will be used for maintenance and upkeep of the church and for projects at both the church and Our Lady of the Angels Catholic School (OLA).

Resch noted that the fastnacht bakes are always fun, with camaraderie and fellowship shared among generations. "I'm always impressed by the students from OLA and Lancaster Catholic who come here before school to help," he said.

The committee members reminded people to order early because the fastnachts always sell out.

"Our fastnachts are artisan," Sahd said. "I think that's why they are popular, because they're not available all the time. They're a special treat."

Orders for fastnachts will be taken online only this year and will begin at https://holytrinitycolumbiapa.com/shop/ on Monday, Jan. 29. Doors will open at 10 a.m. each day for pickup at the side entrance of the school, 404 Cherry St., Columbia. Orders not picked up by 1 p.m. will be resold on a first-come, first-served basis. To volunteer with the fastnacht bake, email HTFastnacht@gmail.com.