Cookies for Kid’s Cancer

We are pleased to share the story of Willow Lake Orthodontics office, the recent hosts of a bake sale. They submitted photos and their story for us to share on the blog. Anytime you host an event, please feel free to write us with photos and a summary of your event. We will share the news with our Great Cookie Community!

On June 26, 2010, in Glenview, Illinois, Willow Lake Orthodontics held their first ever cookie sale for Cookies for Kids’ Cancer at the town’s annual 3v3 Summer Soccer Fest. Patients, families, and staff of the practice all joined together to bake a huge selection of cookies for the sale.

Willow Lake Orthodontics bake sale menu

The hot weather didn’t stop the loyal troupe from pushing their tasty treats on to the athletes and their families.  Everyone pitched in, wearing their event t-shirt complete with a photo of their new mascot.

Willow Lake Team

This event got kids in the kitchen baking with their parents and teaching them that they can have fun while helping out a great organization! We all had a great time preparing for the sale and an even better time selling that day! With one sale under our belt, we look forward to an even more successful cookie sale next year!

Check out the Willow Lake puppy!

NEW YORK – Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, a nonprofit foundation dedicated to raising funds and awareness for pediatric cancer research, announced a $100,000 grant to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in support of a new therapy for neuroblastoma, the second most common type of solid tumor cancer in children.

Dr. Nai-Kong Cheung, head of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center’s Neuroblastoma program and Haupt Chair in Pediatric Oncology, received the grant to support his BITE Antibody Therapy research.  

“If this technology works on neuroblastoma, it will pave the way for other antibodies developed against neuroblastoma and other childhood cancers in our laboratory,” Chueng explained.

Previous research has shown that some patients with recurrent neuroblastoma benefit from immunotherapy during and after standard treatment. Similar to the vaccines given to babies and children to fight childhood illnesses, tumor vaccines can help teach immune cells to recognize and destroy cancer cells.

Neuroblastoma is the second most common solid tumor seen in children but causes about 15 percent of childhood cancer deaths each year. Pediatric cancer claims the lives of more children under the age of 18 in the United States than any other disease, but research for the disease has been historically under-funded. Because of this, approximately half of the treatments available are more than 20 years-old. Cookies for Kids’ Cancer’s goal is to fund therapies that give children battling cancer new, better, and safer options for overcoming the disease.

The grant to Cheung was one of the first awarded by Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, which was launched in September 2008. The goal of the organization is to raise funds for research through the concept of local bake sales. Two additional grants have been awarded by Cookies for Kids’ Cancer in 2010 with more planned for later in the year.

“Our focus is on funding the most promising clinical trials that will get to children as quickly as possible,” Cookies for Kids’ Cancer Founder Gretchen Witt said. “We have always believed that if people learn about the need for funding, they will support the cause. This grant represents the support of thousands of people who have held bake sales, bought cookies and believed, like we do, that we can and will make a difference in the lives of children battling cancer. We are very excited about the possibilities this therapy holds and look forward to seeing it move from the lab to a treatment room as quickly as possible.”

Cookies for Kids’ Cancer was founded in 2008 by Gretchen and Larry Witt, parents  inspired by their son’s ongoing battle with pediatric cancer. The foundation, headquartered in New Jersey, started with a holiday cookie sale in 2007 which baked and sold 96,000 cookies with a team of more than 250 volunteers. The sale raised more than $400,000 in support of a promising pediatric cancer treatment and led to the founding of an organization that supports all types of pediatric cancer. Since the success of the first event, thousands of bake sales have been held across the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and the United Kindom. In addition to bake sales, gourmet cookies are offered year round with 100 percent of the profit going directly to pediatric cancer research. The organization operates with no overhead costs and directs every dollar raised to research. To learn more or get involved, visit www.cookiesforkidscancer.org.

For the past few weeks, the Cookies for Kids’ Cancer blog has been at a complete standstill. You might think nothing has been going on, but that couldn’t be further from reality. You see, thanks to YOU, everything at Cookies is growing and GOING so fast, the blog is actually the only thing not moving.

Adorable kids hosting their school bake sale in Staten Island, NY.

Since the last blog post, there have been over 250 bake sales in 43 states plus the District of Columbia. Also, more than 200 bake sales are coming up this summer. We’re averaging about 40 bake sales every single weekend, and what better time for bake sales - with beautiful weather and outdoor activities?

We’re thrilled to announce that two different groups in Vermont registered bake sales that are coming up this summer. We’re so excited about Vermont bake sales - up until now there hadn’t been any Vermont events. Yay, Vermont! (PS - If you know any Good Cookies in North Dakota, please spread the word. . .once we have a North Dakota bake sale, Cookies will have touched all 50 states!)

Erica O'Connor with daughters Sydney (pediatric cancer survivor) and Avery before their bake sale.

We’ve added Bake Sale Kits to our site - featuring perfect bags for your event and beautiful Cookies for Kids’ Cancer logo stickers included to make your bake sale unmistakably a “Cookies” event.

Bake Sale host Greg Cabral with a Good Coookie supporter.

Good Cookies featured at Greg Cabral's bake sale in California.

Last weekend in Charlotte, NC, another $10,000+ bake sale was held for NASCAR fans in the area. In Colorado, Erica O’Connor and her daughters - one who is a survivor - raised over $3,000 at their first bake sale. Hosts in Brooklyn and Michigan and California raised over $2,000 each. Plus, we’ve met Good Cookies in Oregon and Kentucky and South Carolina who will be hosting bake sales all summer, with the goal of raising $50 or $100 per week knowing that EVERY SINGLE DOLLAR makes a difference in the world of pediatric cancer research.

Good Cookies at Lauren Fitzgerald's Staten Island bake sale.

Thanks to each and every Good Cookie who is taking the time to host events. Because of you, families battling pediatric cancer all across the country and around the world have HOPE for a better future for their most precious resource - their kids.

Sydney O'Connor, pediatric cancer survivor, enjoying her Cookies for Kids' Cancer bake sale.

And while we celebrate the victories of each day and the generosity of individuals, at Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, we are always looking ahead. We look to tomorrow for HOPE. We look forward because it’s the FUTURE. And we look ahead to see the new ways we can celebrate Good Cookies making a difference.

MARS bake sale goodies.

Soon, it will be Father’s Day. We think you should celebrate with Cookies for Kids’ Cancer cookies.

Then, there will be July 4th picnics and parades would be perfect with a Cookies for Kids’ Cancer bake sale.

In August, children everywhere will return to school.

And then there is September.

September is Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month. September is also the month of Cookies for Kids’ Cancer’s 2nd Anniversary. September is our next BIG month. We hope every single Good Cookie who has been a part of the Cookies for Kids’ Cancer momentum will join us this September to bring awareness to our shared mission and to celebrate our 2nd Anniversary.

Because of you, we are GROWING. . .by leaps and bounds, just like the kids who we fight for as they fight for their lives.

Bake Sale in Birkdale Village, Huntersville, NC.

Patches for Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts or any troop.

On Friday afternoon, I was greeted at the door by a UPS delivery guy holding a Cookies for Kids’ Cancer package. I eagerly opened it, knowing that after months of designing, tweaking, and waiting, at long last I would get to see our first-ever Cookies for Kids’ Cancer Scout Patch.

I couldn’t be more delighted with the bright, colorful patch we hope to send to thousands of Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, Daisies, and all other patch-collecting-troops who take the time to host a Cookies for Kids’ Cancer bake sale. We hope this patch will inspire troops to get involved and spread the word about the need for more funding for pediatric cancer research.

We’ve already had dozens of Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops host bake sales, together raising thousands of dollars for new and improved treatments for pediatric cancer. Many more troops have registered bake sales for this spring. And as a sign of our gratitude for their support, we will send one patch for each scout who rolled up their sleeves and worked to make a difference in the lives of kids everywhere.

Thank you for hosting bake sales. You give us HOPE for a better future for all kids fighting pediatric cancer.

Cookies for Kids’ Cancer is excited to announce the support of a brand new line of children’s clothing. . .Petit Confection.

Petit Confection is the creation of fashion designer Olivia Anh-Chi Huynh, who has been designing and serving as creative director in the children’s market for the past four years. She helped her family-owned business Fantaisie Kids become a leader in special occasions wear for infants and girls, and it’s now sold at Lord & Taylor stores and better boutiques. With her newest venture, Olivia is utilizing both her design talents and passion for customer relations, as the line will be sold online and via trunk show parties, a new and fresh concept that she hopes will involve moms nationwide. In her ongoing efforts to make Petit Confection truly a lifestyle company, she will also introduce an online magazine that celebrates beautiful style, life, and love…

But Olivia wants to do more than simply design and sell beautiful clothing, she wants to sweeten Petit Confection’s nationwide trunk shows with Cookies for Kids’ Cancer bake sales to raise both awareness and funds for pediatric cancer research. Olivia’s vision is simple - blend her passion for beautiful children’s clothing with her desire to support Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. And we couldn’t be more delighted to spread the word.

Starting TODAY, you can support Petit Confection’s first partnership goal - to raise $10,000 online from now through May 1st. With the simple donation of just $5, supporters of Cookies for Kids’ Cancer can raise funds and awareness while helping to make this May the biggest month ever for Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. To learn more and to donate $5 to the cause, link here.

To learn more about Petit Confection’s exciting launch coming up in NYC on May 4th, link here.

Be sure to become a fan of both Cookies for Kids’ Cancer and Petit Confection on Facebook! We’re aiming for 10,000 fans by Mother’s Day. . . remember, if we all do a little, together it adds up to a lot!

At Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, we encourage supporters to host bake sales all year long. Who doesn’t love cookies at Valentine’s or Easter, on a hot summer day or at a fun fall festival, and what’s November and December without fresh-baked holiday cookies? No doubt, we believe any time is a great time to support Cookies for Kids’ Cancer with a bake sale. 

But this spring, Cookies for Kids’ Cancer is calling on all of our supporters to make May our biggest bake sale month to date, with the highest number of bake sales we’ve ever had. We hope to see our army of supporters fire up the ovens to bake and sell more cookies than we can even imagine. But it’s going to take lots of support to make that happen. In order to beat our single month record for bake sales, we’ll need over 350 bake sales held in May alone. That number may sound huge, but really, if people all across the country could do it in December, when it was cold, dreary and nearly everyone was busy with the holidays, it should be easy to make bright, sunny, warm May the perfect month for record-breaking bake sales.

But other than the pretty weather, why May? Well, we have a few reasons. . .

1. Mom. Yes, Mother’s Day is one important day in May, but really, why not make the entire month dedicated to the moms in our lives? Moms make us who we are, inspire us to dream, and protect us from the harms of the world. In the world of pediatric cancer, moms go from being inspirational to super-human - as they fight for their child’s life while working each day to keep the rest of the family’s life “normal.” So host a bake sale in honor of your mom, your girlfriends, your sisters. . .or in honor of all the moms of pediatric cancer warriors who see every bake sale as another sign of hope for the future. Columnist Betsy Flagler recently highlighted the power of moms in the fight against pediatric cancer in The Charlotte Observer - Personal Battles Lead to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. Check out her story for an inspired reminder of the difference we all make.

2. Gifts. Please be sure to find your mom the perfect gift this Mother’s Day, but that is not the kind of gift we are tallking about. This May, all of our registered bake sale hosts will be entered to win amazing gifts from companies who believe in Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. Vera Bradley, Kitchen Aid, Le Creuset, Built and others have stepped up with gifts that any baker or bake sale host would love. Stay tuned to this blog for details on all the prizes up for grabs. How do you win? Simply register your May bake sale and submit your funds raised to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer by June 5th. All completed bake sales are eligible to win. Drawing for prizes will be held Monday, June 7th and gift recipients will be notified by email.

3. Hope. Never doubt the power of a bake sale. Each time a bake sale is registered, hope is renewed in the hearts of families with children battling pediatric cancer. And there is no time like May, when the world thaws from winter and bursts into full bloom, to give the gift of hope every child deserves.

Register to host a bake sale. Do it to honor mom. Do it to win a great prize. Do it to give the gift of hope. Do it because if we all do a little, together it adds up to a lot.

The students of Valley Ranch Elementary School in Irving, Texas, are serious about supporting good causes. Last fall, when the school decided to organize a campus event to raise money for charity, everyone wanted to get involved, and they wanted to do it right.

First, the students researched different causes that seemed natural for an elementary school to support. Then, the school narrowed down the list to 3 causes for the school to learn about and vote on. When the votes were tallied, Cookies for Kids’ Cancer won the support of the student body. As a result of the whole-hearted effort, the school raised over $1,200 during their Cookies for Kids’ Cancer bake sale.

But then, the Valley Ranch fund raiser took another fun turn. You see, school organizers wanted to present a special check to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer as a finale, and they reached out to our headquarters in New Jersey to see who from Cookies might be able to attend the special assembly in Irving, Texas. Well, it just so happens that two of Cookies for Kids’ Cancer’s longtime supporters, sisters Annette Oknefski and Debi Donaho, live within driving distance of Valley Ranch Elementary.

These sisters answered Gretchen’s first call to host bake sales in 2008, and have been friends and supporters ever since then. It delighted us to send Annette and Debi, as well as Debi’s husband Zane and son Garrett, as our Cookies for Kids’ Cancer Ambassadors to Valley Ranch Elementary.

So, thank you - to the teachers, students, and families of Valley Ranch Elementary as well as sisters Annette and Debi. Each and every person involved in the special check presentation that day is a Good Cookie and will forever be a member of the Cookies for Kids’ Cancer family!

Check out more of our photos at our Flickr gallery! http://www.flickr.com/photos/cookiesforkidscancer/

Marcy Goldman and her team at BetterBaking.com recently reached out to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer with kind words and heartfelt support. From her message our common bonds became clear. Her team loves to bake while our team loves to share baked goods. And we all love children. Collectively, we hope to do what we can, using the talents we possess, to keep kids from feeling the pain or facing the fears of cancer.

Take a peek at the Vera Bradley "bake sale."

I truly love Vera Bradley luggage. The classic lines and colorful patterns of their totes, duffles, diaper bags and key chains offer fun ways to express myself. And I love the sweet surprise of receiving new pieces for my collection. A green tote for high school graduation. A small green duffle for Christmas after college. The fabulous red pieces for my wedding. And just last year, I received a new key chain from my sister in law for my birthday. Each piece represents a bright, happy memory.

But I’ve never been more surprised or delighted by Vera Bradley than I was last fall when Cookies for Kids’ Cancer learned the team at Vera Bradley had thrown their support behind us in a BIG way. On what was otherwise a regular day of working to spread the word about the needs surrounding pediatric cancer funding, out of the blue came the news. Two pages of the Spring 2010 Vera Bradley catalog were dedicated to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer’s “sweet” approach to raising funds for new and improved treatments for pediatric cancer. In the same vibrant colors as their fabrics, the Vera Bradley team created and photographed a beautiful bake sale with cupcakes and cookies and beautiful kids. . .our version of a recipe for happiness.

So, thank you Vera Bradley. We are humbled and grateful for your support.

If you want to see the Spring collection, go to www.verabradley.com. And if you fall in love with some of their pieces, well just stay tuned to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. . .very soon, we’ll be sharing a surprise of our own that includes a few items from the newest Vera Bradley collection {plus other fun gifts} up for grabs this spring to bake sale hosts.

It’s never too soon to start thinking about spring, bake sales and pretty, pretty luggage. We hope you’ll let Vera Bradley inspire you!