Snickerdoodles & Cookies For Kids Cancer

While I do have a great Snickerdoodle recipe for you today (a Disneyland Snickerdoodle Copycat to be exact)…

I also have a very important cause to share with you. Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. I was recently contacted by OXO and asked if I would share some information with my readers about Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. While nobody ever wants to hear the words “Kids” and “Cancer” in the same sentence, unfortunately, it’s a reality. As a parent it brings tears to your eyes, even for those you have never met. It’s something that no child, or parent, or family should ever have to experience. But they do.

I remember when my youngest was a baby, I came across the story of Allie Scott. A little girl, just months older than my daughter, who was diagnosed with Leukemia. Having just had my daughter, watching another mother struggle as hers lost the fight against cancer, was a changing experience seeing so clearly that cancer does claim the lives of children.

It was right around that time that my brother Josh became involved with  Team In Training, an amazing program that helps train athletes while raising money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. He started taking part in marathons and triathlons as a member of Team In Training raising money to fight cancer. As many on Team In Training do, he carried the names and photos of honored teammates who had battled, were battling or had lost there battle to cancer. Including Allie. His experience with Team In Training was so positive, that he went on to become a trainer with Team In Training, not only helping others reach their athletic goals, but being a fundraising mentor. The amount he has helped raise over the years is amazing.

While Josh received most of the athletic genes in the family, we always try to help in other ways, by donating to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and acting as a Team In Training cheering section. A lot easier than actually running no doubt, but hopefully our cheers of “GO TEAM!” help a tiny bit, especially in those final miles. As a side note, if you are ever out at a marathon or tri, it’s likely you’ll see some of those purple jerseys. Give a shout out of “Go Team!” – the look up, and smile you will likely get, will make your day. 🙂

Obviously Leukemia & Lymphoma are not the only types of cancer that affect children. For the past two years I have been closely following the story of a little girl here in Arizona named Kate McCrae, who has been battling brain cancer. With every update her mother makes to her blog, my heart breaks all over. I can’t begin to wrap my head around what it’s like to have a child with cancer, and not being able to “fix” it. Cancer is so big, it seems like there is so little that we can do. But there are things we can do to help, even if they are small. That’s where Cookies for Kids’ Cancer comes in.

Cookies for Kids’ Cancer was founded by two OXOnians (OXO employees), Gretchen and Larry Witt who were inspired by their son Liam’s battle with pediatric cancer. They were shocked to learn that the main reason over 25% of kids diagnosed with cancer do not survive is because of a lack of effective therapies. And the reason for the lack of effective therapies was simple: lack of funding.

Cookies for Kids’ Cancer was born to fill this void and to provide inspiration and support for individuals, communities and businesses to help fight pediatric cancer through the concept of local bake sales. With less than 70 employees, OXOnians regard each other as family. The news of Liam’s diagnosis hit us hard and we were determined to help “bake a difference.” Since the beginning, we have shown our support by baking cookies and holding bake sales. Through these efforts, OXOnians have helped raise over $150,000 to support Cookies for Kids’ Cancer.

This year, OXO will donate up to $100,000 to support research for new and improved therapies. Here are three easy ways to bake a difference and join OXO in the movement to find a cure for pediatric cancer:

1. Cookie Spatula – Purchase a Limited Edition Cookie Spatula. Your purchase helps OXO support Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, up to $100,000; 50% of profits benefit pediatric cancer awareness. To purchase visit: [www.oxogoodcookies.com/cookie_spatula]

2. Virtual Cookie – Spread the word about Cookies for Kids’ Cancer by sending a virtual cookie to all of your friends. OXO will make a donation per cookie shared, up to 10,000 cookies – each week. Go to: [http://www.oxogoodcookies.com/virtual_cookie]

3. Hosting a Bake Sale – Large or small, your bake sale will raise funds for new and less harmful treatments for pediatric cancer. With OXO’s support, every dollar counts twice as much! From July 19th to December 31st, OXO will match all proceeds from registered bake sales, up to $100,000.

Those are three pretty simple ways that each and every one of us can help out. I’m pretty sure that almost everyone who reads this blog, bakes. Which means we all use spatulas. If you have a few dollars that can spare, order a Be A Good Cookie Spatula. It only takes a few minutes of your time and a few dollars from your wallet.

And as promised, here is one of my favorite cookie recipes, one that you could use in a bake sale! This is a knock off of the Disneyland Snickerdoodle recipe. On one trip to Disneyland, I was on a hunt for a Snickerdoodle to take home for a friend who loves them. Unfortunately I was told that Disneyland was no longer selling them, so I hunted high and low to find a recipe to replicate them for my friend. This recipe received a big thumbs up, and it’s very easy to make…

Disneyland Snickerdoodle Copycat Recipe
from Food.com

Melt in your mouth buttery cinnamony goodness!

Now it is your turn. Do what you can to Be A Good Cookie. 🙂