A Dutch church has come up with an unusual fundraising method. From the Globe and Mail: Worshipping at the altar of cheese.
EDAM, THE NETHERLANDS -- In an effort to raise funds for the renovation of the epic 42-metre tower of their landmark 15th-century Grote Kerk (Great Church), the Dutch town of Edam has constructed a cathedral out of thousands of un-holey orbs of its most famous export: cheese.
Until Sept. 13, visitors to Amsterdam can take the scenic 13-kilometre detour to the hallowed halls of Edam's Great Church, also known as St. Nicolaas Church, to view a 1:10 scale model inside. The model is built out of about 10,000 spheres of Edam cheese, each one individually sponsored. (St. Nicolaas is the longest hall church in Europe. It is also the reputed final resting place of Rembrandt's mistress, Grietje Dircks.)
In addition to attracting an estimated 10,000 visitors and generating much-needed funds, the mildly odorous edifice will undoubtedly find itself a spot in the Guinness Book of Records alongside that of Canada's greatest cheese achievement: the 26-tonne cheddar wonder produced in 1995 by Loblaws Supermarkets and Agropurv Dairies in Granby, Que. [continue]
Related:
Kerk van Kaas - this is the Cheese Church website. Quite fun, but in Dutch, of course. (Requires Flash)