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(03/14/19) - Counting to Pi is as easy as 1, 2, 3.14159, and an infinite amount of other digits. Today, on March 14, we know we celebrate Pi. What we don't know is why. To find our answer, it took a quick trip to a Mid-Michigan STEM elementary school. "Pi is this mega-big number with lots of digits. It goes on infinitely actually, but we can it in mathematics, especially in helping us calculate the circumference of circles," Jennifer Allison said. Allison is a 5th grade teacher. The circumference is the distance around the circle. Although in theory, the number of pies we can eat is finite, Pi as a number goes on forever. The world record for the memorization of Pi is over 70,000 digits. Allison remembers trying to memorize some of those digits. "When I was a child, my grandfather would teach me Pi, one digit by digit over the course of a few years, so I know 3.14159265," Allison said. Recalling memories of learning Pi and memorizing digits is a great way to honor National Pi Day, but baking dessert pies is another way to celebrate. For places like Oliver T's, days like today are busy with more orders than usual, and they embrace the festivities. "I just know that it's 3.14, and it's a mathematical thing, and I write the pi sign for them," Johnnie Robertson-Leek said. Robertson-Leek is a cake decorator at Oliver T's. Whether you choose to eat a pizza pie or a dessert pie, it's important to understand why.