"Cookies for Kids Cancer" Bake Sale Finds Sweet Success at Fall Festival

Mountainside resident Marilyn Berney could not have asked for a more perfect day to hold an old fashioned bake sale to raise money for Cookies for Kids Cancer, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that raises money through this unique process for new and improved therapies to fight pediatric cancer.

As residents poured into downtown Westfield, eager to enjoy the gorgeous weather, rides, assorted carnival foods and downtown shops, Berney and her troop of exuberant volunteers had no trouble finding festival goers who were eager to enjoy a homemade treat and donate to a worthy cause.

Cookies for Kids Cancer was started by Gretchen and Larry Witt who were inspired by their son Liam’s fight against Neuroblastoma.  After four years of fighting his heroic battle, Liam passed away but his parents continue to raise money to help fund new therapies for the treatment of pediatric cancer by facilitating local bake sales in communities nationwide to help raise funds for this important cause.

The Cookies for Kids Cancer tent at the Westfield Fall Festival was crowded with customers with eyes the size of the delicious cheesecake pops displayed nearby. Standing under her tent, overseeing the sale of dozens of treats of every shape and size, Berney explained how she became involved with this organization.

“It was kind of a perfect storm of events, Berney explained. “I’m an attorney and my background is in public relations and fundraising. One morning I turned on the news and the founder of Cookies for Kids Cancer, Gretchen Witt, was on the Today Show speaking about this organization. I thought that this was a fabulous organization because it was a way to get involved without just writing a check. In fact, a couple months before I heard about this organization, my husband had said to me, ‘How come you can never find any old fashioned bake sales?’ We love homemade treats because it usually tastes even better than what you can find in a bakery,” she explained.

Berney went on to describe how her sister-in-law had been diagnosed with a form of lymphoma.  “Now she is cancer free, but the treatments she underwent are the same as those used to treat pediatric leukemia. Her fight against cancer inspired me to contribute to this organization,” Berney said.

To get started, Berney visited the Cookies for Kids Cancer website.

“In June I sent an email through the website and signed up for a date to hold my first bake sale. Next, I created a volunteer signup sheet using www.helpersignup.com and sent it out through email to about two to three dozen people.”

The results were remarkable. Berney was able to recruit four dozen volunteers and raise 900 dollars in donations before yesterday’s bake sale had even began.

“I had bakers, packers, sponsors, and volunteers who came ready today to help sell the baked goods at the festival. Throughout today we will have about thirty volunteers. People have been looking for a way to help that didn’t involve simply writing out a check. Everything you see here today is homemade,” Berney stated.

Claire Hulbert, 14 and Shannon Compton, 15 were two of the volunteers, eager to lend a hand. 

“My mom encouraged me to sign up and I am so glad that I did,” Hulbert stated. “The M&M cookies are my favorite.” 

Berney noted that Shannon Compton and her mother baked twelve dozen cookies for the bake sale. “This is definitely a cause I am proud to be a part of,” Compton explained. “The chocolate chip cookies are delicious!”

Berney smiled as she rapidly listed the impressive assortment of treats.  The after effect of hearing the detailed list of cake pops, cookies, muffins, bars, and brownies was dizzying. 

Berney is already looking towards the future, urging volunteers to “get their cookie sheets ready” for another bake sale in the spring.

“We now have a great vinyl banner that our sponsors paid for and we want to use it again!” Berney stated. “Everyone has had so much fun doing this; my family has been so supportive and everyone seems to have a smile on their face when they pick up a cookie or a brownie,” she expressed. 

After the Fall Festival, Berney counted every dollar that was raised, tabulated what needed to be reimbursed, the cost of which will be covered by her sponsors, and wrote a check to send the money directly to Cookies for Kids Cancer. In one day, Marilyn Berney and her team of volunteers raised $1,926.93 making the event a huge success.  Counting the $900.00 she had raised through donations prior to Saturday’s event, Berney collected $2,661.93, surpassing her goal.

“Thank you to the sponsors and everyone who donated baked goods, money, supplies, time and skills.  Each and every one of you made this bake sale a success,” Berney noted to her volunteers.

Marilyn Berney made a point of expressing how easy it is for someone to get involved in this cause.

“Getting involved is so simple,” Berney stated. “Just take a moment to visit www.cookiesforkidscancer.org and sign up for a date. Give yourself about two months to tell your friends, gather volunteers and get people interested. You will find that more and more people are really looking for something good to do,” Berney said.