In 2007, Gretchen Witt and her husband, Larry Witt, received the devastating news that their two-year-old son, Liam, had Cancer. Their distress was further intensified after realizing that there weren’t many safe and effective treatment options for kids battling cancer.
When Liam was diagnosed, Gretchen used her background in public relations to devise a way to spread awareness. At the time, the holidays were approaching, so she decided to organize a large-scale bake sale.
Cookies seemed like the perfect idea since people often enjoy eating sweet treats during the holiday season. Plus, many people get into a charitable spirit and are more willing to contribute to a meaningful cause than at any other time of the year.
Gretchen’s aimed to sell 96,000 freshly baked cookies and donate the money to fund pediatric cancer research. She gathered over 250 volunteers, and together, they all set out to sell cookies.
Within a matter of days, they hit their goal and raised $420,000. Initially, the Witts had planned for the project to be a one-time thing, but after their immediate success, they were inspired to do more.
This led to the creation of Cookies For Kids’ Cancer the following year, which is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting children’s cancer research and co-founded by Gretchen.
So far, Cookies For Kids’ Cancer has poured almost $20 million into the top pediatric cancer research centers, helping 25 new treatments become available on the market.
There have been 16,000 fundraising events for the organization held across the nation in all fifty states as well as in 24 other countries.
Supporters of all ages can get involved. Individuals can host bake sales or any other DIY fundraising events they come up with, such as a poker tournament or a walk-a-thon. All they need to do is purchase the cookies online, sell them, and return the profits to the organization.
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According to Gretchen, Cookies For Kids’ Cancer is different from other nonprofits because of its unique grant-making process. A medical advisory board made up of experts guides the process by thoroughly reviewing each grant request in a timely manner to ensure that research can be conducted as quickly and accurately as possible.
In 2011, Liam passed away just before his seventh birthday after fighting cancer for four years. Seven months later, the first treatment that Cookies For Kids’ Cancer successfully funded was made available.
If you want to get involved or learn more about the organization, check out Cookies For Kids’ Cancer here.
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