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Photo courtesy of Megan Montgome
Grace Schlenker won the Edgar's Bakery grand prize winner of Megan Montgomery Foundation's 2025 Gingerbread Jam competition.
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Photo courtesy of Megan Montgome
Lisa Hapgood's gingerbread house won first place in the advanced division of the Megan Montgomery Foundation's 2025 Gingerbread Jam competition.Hapgood, right, is pictured with foundation Executive Director Meredith Montgomery.
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Photo courtesy of Megan Montgome
Emily Forsythe's gingerbread house won second place in the advanced division of the Megan Montgomery Foundation's 2025 Gingerbread Jam competition.
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Photo courtesy of Megan Montgome
Emme Novoa's gingerbread house won third place in the advanced division of the Megan Montgomery Foundation's 2025 Gingerbread Jam competition. Novoa, at right, is pictured with foundation Executive Director Meredith Montgomery.
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Photo courtesy of Megan Montgome
Henry Jones' gingerbread house won first place in the Ages 0-5 division of the Megan Montgomery Foundation's 2025 Gingerbread Jam competition.
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Photo courtesy of Megan Montgome
Lessie Lynn Findlay's gingerbread house won second place in the Ages 0-5 division of the Megan Montgomery Foundation's 2025 Gingerbread Jam competition.
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Photo courtesy of Megan Montgome
Abigail Stewart's gingerbread house won third place in the Ages 0-5 division of the Megan Montgomery Foundation's 2025 Gingerbread Jam competition.
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Photo courtesy of Megan Montgome
Darshna Patel's gingerbread house,won firs place in the Ages 6-12 division of the Megan Montgomery Foundation's 2025 Gingerbread Jam competition.
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Photo courtesy of Megan Montgome
William Forsythe's gingerbread house won second place in the Ages 6-12 division of the Megan Montgomery Foundation's 2025 Gingerbread Jam competition.
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Photo courtesy of Megan Montgome
Porter Reeves-Negron's gingerbread house won third place in the Ages 6-12 division of the Megan Montgomery Foundation's 2025 Gingerbread Jam competition.
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Photo courtesy of Megan Montgome
Tracy Harlow's gingerbread house won first place in the PAges 13 and older division of the Megan Montgomery Foundation's 2025 Gingerbread Jam competition.
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Photo courtesy of Megan Montgome
Elizabeth Stout's gingerbread house won second place in the Ages 13 and older division of the Megan Montgomery Foundation's 2025 Gingerbread Jam competition.
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Photo courtesy of Megan Montgome
Kit Killingsworth's gingerbread house won third place in the Ages 13 and older division of the Megan Montgomery Foundation's 2025 Gingerbread Jam competition. Killingsworth, right, is pictured with foundation Executive Director Meredith Montgomery.
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Photo courtesy of Megan Montgome
The Horizon School's gingerbread house won first place in the People's Choice division of the Megan Montgomery Foundation's 2025 Gingerbread Jam competition. Barlow, right, is pictured with foundation Executive Director Meredith Montgomery.
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Photo courtesy of Megan Montgome
Glen Barlow's gingerbread house won second place in the People's Choice division of the Megan Montgomery Foundation's 2025 Gingerbread Jam competition. Barlow, right, is pictured with foundation Executive Director Meredith Montgomery.
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Photo courtesy of Megan Montgome
Glen Barlow's gingerbread house won second place in the People's Choice division of the Megan Montgomery Foundation's 2025 Gingerbread Jam competition.
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Photo courtesy of Megan Montgome
Evie Cleckler's gingerbread house won third place in the People's Choice division of the Megan Montgomery Foundation's 2025 Gingerbread Jam competition. Cleckler, left, is pictured with foundation Executive Director Meredith Montgomery.
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Photo courtesy of Megan Montgome
Kit Killingsworth's gingerbread house, left, won third place in the Ages 13 and older division of the Megan Montgomery Foundation's 2025 Gingerbread Jam competition, while Lessie Lynn Findlay's gingerbread house (No. 100) won second place in the Ages O-5 division.
The Megan Montgomery Foundation’s 2025 Gingerbread Jam gingerbread house competition in December raised almost $60,000 to help prevent relationship violence, organizers said.
The competition was held Dec. 12-13 at the Vestavia Hills Civic Center and attracted 85 entries, said Susann Montgomery-Clark, one of the founders of the foundation. Grace Schlenker was the Edgars Bakery grand prize winner and won $500.
Other winners in various divisions were:
Advanced category:
- 1st place — Lisa Hapgood
- 2nd place — Emily Forsythe
- 3rd place — Emme Novoa
Ages 0-5:
- 1st place — Henry Jones
- 2nd place — Lessie Lynn Findlay
- 3rd place — Abigail Stewart
Ages 6-12:
- 1st place — Darshna Patel
- 2nd place — William Forsythe
- 3rd place – Porter Reeves-Negron
Ages 13 and older:
- 1st place — Tracy Harlow
- 2nd place — Elizabeth Stout
- 3rd Place – Kit Killingsworth
People’s Choice:
- 1st place — Horizons School
- 2nd place — Glen Barlow
- 3rd place — Evie Cleckler
The $59,904 raised by the event this year is the highest amount raised in the four years the contest has been held, Montgomery-Clark said. The first year, $11,000 was raised, and last year the event raised $37,000, she said. “We were really excited about it. It’s come a long way.”
Most of the money came from sponsorships because organizers tried to keep the entry fee low at $5 per house to make the competition affordable for people and maximize participation, Montgomery-Clark said.Edgar’s Bakery has been the presenting sponsor since the beginning, she said.
After the contest, about 50 of the entries were taken to senior care facilities in the area for them to display on their dining room tables during the Christmas holiday period, Montgomery-Clark said.
The Megan Montgomery Foundation was founded in 2019 in memory of Montgomery-Clark’s daughter, Megan, who was killed by her estranged husband in 2019 four days before she was set to testify in court against him in a domestic violence case.
The purpose of the foundation is to educate people about healthy relationships, empower young adults to recognize unhealthy behaviors and stop relationship violence before it starts. Since its creation, the foundation has awarded $363,000 in grants to nonprofits and educational institutions across Alabama for programs and initiatives toward that end.
For more information, visit megansfoundation.org.
