The results are in, and winners of Macomb Community College's Culinary Institute's Gingerbread House Competition featured much more than the traditional gingerbread house. The houses are on display at the Macomb Cultural Center until Dec. 9 and are being sold at silent auction to benefit Macomb's Transition program, which provides assistance to those who have experienced a major life change.

"The originality and detail of these creations is phenomenal," said Chef Francois Faloppa, Macomb Culinary Institute, and one of the judges in the Gingerbread House Competition. "We were so impressed with the high school entries that we added a Best of Show in that category."

Entries in the competition were not the typical gingerbread, licorice and gumdrop structures commonly associated with gingerbread houses. The imaginative creations entered included a Reindeer Spa complete with a reindeer in the hot tub, a Pizzeria with a stone hearth and outside café, lighthouses, and Alice in Wonderland's Mad Hatter's Hat featuring a "crystal-faced" mad watch, Alice and all of her friends. Winners of the competition:

High School Category, Gold Award and Best of Show: Adam Kachman (Warren/Warren Woods Tower High School)

College Category, Best of Show: Jessica Graffius and Kris Alber (Traverse City/Great Lakes Culinary Institute)

Professional/ Other Category, Gold Award and Best of Show: Gail Ptach (Richmond)

Gold Award and Judges' Special Award: Sharon Colucci and Jenny Myrick (Sterling Heights/Macomb Culinary Institute)

The Macomb Cultural Center is open Wednesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and on Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. The silent bidding and gingerbread house display will end at 4 p.m. on Dec. 9. Winning bidders will be contacted by telephone to make arrangements for pick up of their house on Monday, Dec. 10, or Tuesday., Dec. 11, between 9 a.m. - noon and 4 - 8 p.m.

Media Contact: Mary Smith

Phone: 586.445.7997

Email: smithm@macomb.edu