Kids Helping Kids Through Bake Sales

This weekend and throughout May, you’ll see children around the area doing their part to help raise money for Pediatric Cancer Research, starting with a bake sale on Saturday at Hartshorn Elementary School.

Dozens of Millburn and Short Hills children and their parents have joined the Cookies for Kids’ Cancer cause, helping to support the not-for-profit organization that supports research for new and improved therapies for pediatric cancers.

The local bake sales allow children to know that they can do something, even at a very young age, to help others, as Cookies for Kids’ Cancer provides inspiration and support for individuals, communities and businesses to help fight pediatric cancer.

The first of these bake sales will be Saturday at Hartshorn Elementary School, at 400 Hartshorn Drive in Short Hills from 1 to 4 p.m.

“Join us for the afternoon and enjoy playing with your bikes, balls and
the playground,” said Carrie Bachman, who is helping to organize the events in May.  “Eat cookies for a good cause.  One hundred percent of proceeds will
benefit pediatric cancer research.”

Other events in May include a big fundraising fun day at Taylor Park’s Bauer Center in Millburn and cookies will be sold across the street at Splurge Bakery.
Entertainment for the fun day includes Anya Parker-Lentz, Preschool of Rock, Rizzo's Reptile Discovery Show and Uncle John's Traveling Musical Puppet Show. There will also be face painting, Crafts by Creative Kids and more. The day is sponsored by Splurge Bakery, Willow Lake Day Camp, Fly Wheel, and Summit Medical Group of New Jersey.

Prior to the event, you can also schedule a photo shoot for that day in Taylor Park with Jordan Elyse and all proceeds of the shoot will go to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. Call Elyse at 917-757-0703.

Other bake sales around town:

• Salad House, 343 Millburn Ave, Fri. May 11, 1-4 p.m.Contact ateitelbaum@gmail.com.

• Flywheel, 351 Millburn Ave, Sat. May 12, 9:30-11:30 a.m. Contact loricsiegel@hotmail.com or elysedub@yahoo.com.

• B’nai Israel, 160 Millburn Avenue, Thurs. May 17, from noon to 1 p.m. and  from 2 to 3 p.m., contact rmanne@nfclegal.com.

•  South Mountain Elementary School, 2 Southern Slope Drive, Millburn, Fri. May 18, 3-4:30 p.m. Contact azager26@yahoo.com.

• Suki’s, 329 Millburn Ave, Fri. May 18, 3-4:30 p.m.,contact pam.mathay@gmail.com.

•  Deerfield Art Appreciation Night, 26 Troy Lane, Short Hills, Thurs. May 31, 6-7:30 p.m., Contact elysedub@yahoo.com.

• Words Book Store, Maplewood. There will be a book signing and bake sale on Sunday, May 20, from 2 to 4 pm. with a New Jersey-based cookbook authors’ discussion as well.

Bachman said the first Cookies for Kids’ Cancer bake sale was held 2007, when the mom of a young child with cancer decided to hold an enormous bake sale to sell 96,000 cookies to raise money for pediatric cancer treatment in development. With the help of more than 250 volunteers, they sold all 96,000 cookies in just three weeks and raised more than $400,000. From there, the idea grew into a national organization with bake sales held throughout the country.

Childhood cancers are the number one disease killer of children - more than asthma, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis and pediatric AIDS combined, according to the Cookies for Kids’ Cancer press release. Nearly 13,000 children are diagnosed with cancer each year yet there has not been a new drug developed specifically for pediatric cancer in 20 years.

“Cookies for Kids’ Cancer is committed to raising the funds to support research for new and improved therapies for pediatric cancer. Make the future of pediatric cancers something more than a scary statistic,” the release said. Visit www.cookiesforkidscancer.org to find how you can support Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. Or to donate on-line http://cookiesforkidscancer.kintera.org/millburn_shorthills_cookies