Three years ago, Lawson Middle School hosted an entire day dedicated to exploring the various occupations we, as young thirteen year old kids, could pursue in the future. Of all the options available including aerospace engineering, radio broadcasting, and marketing to name a few, I along with all my classmates gravitated toward the professions that involved explosions, free gifts, or, better yet, food. Unsurprisingly, the listing with the word “cake” in it had the largest turnout, and we knew we had hit the jackpot when we saw about a hundred mini-cupcakes lines up in the front of the room. While my classmates and I were initially there for the tasty treats, as the presentation progressed our eyes slowly moved away from the pink and blue frosting to the lady in the front who held a message that was even sweeter.
It was in this moment that a good majority of Lawson Middle School was introduced to Cake4Kids, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that unprivileged children have a birthday cake to celebrate their special day.
At first it seems a rather odd goal—I’ll admit to wondering how baking cakes helps to solve the major flaws in our society, but as the Cake4Kids website urges us to ponder: Has the thought of a child without a birthday cake ever crossed your mind? I can honestly say no, it hasn’t as I have always taken my birthday cakes for granted, a given, a constant, something I am entitled to have—and must have—on my birthday, or the day just feels incomplete; after all, what’s a birthday without a cake?
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Keeping in mind those who are not as fortunate as myself and my classmates, since September of 2010 Cake4Kids has helped “foster kids and at-risk youth to feel special at least one day a year, to raise their self-esteem, and to increase their chance of success in school and life knowing that people care for them,” as written on their website.
Catering to the greater Bay Area, Cake4Kids is supported by an exponentially growing number of volunteers who bake and deliver cakes throughout the four regions of South Bay, Peninsula, East Bay, and North Bay. With a calendar of orders, volunteers choose a venue to cater to and are glad to accommodate childrens’ requests with pictures of specialized cakes including the Little Mermaid, Vans shoes, Dora, and Winnie the Pooh scattered across the non-profit’s online gallery.
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However, Cake4Kids does not require its volunteers to be master pastry chefs and in fact encourages new volunteers with a passion for baking to join. The non-profit also provides services to other organizations in the area that help at-risk youth or foster children.
On Saturday September 14, 2013 Cake4Kids hopes to spread its message and call to spread smiles even further through the annual Cake-Off4Kids event. Held from 5:30 to 8:30 pm at The Domain Hotel in Sunnyvale, the Cake-Off invites bakers of all skill-level and of all ages to submit an entry form to compete in the category of their choice. On the day of the event, bakers bring their creation to the venue to be tasted not only by the cake-off judges but by visiting public as well. It should be noted that there is a maximum cap of 50 entries across five events that include best decorated, best tasting, ultimate chocolate, creative cupcakes, and made by kids (participants in this category must be 15 years or younger). Bakers receive free entry into the events and are required to bring only their cakes and a smile.
Attendees are welcome to wander around in a dessert lover’s paradise and sample as many delicious cakes as their sweet tooth desires. To ensure overzealous visitors do not enter chocolate arrest, Cake4Kids also provides finger foods and beverages to cleanse the palate before attacking the next row of baked goods. There are a total of 250 tasting tickets sold for $20 each through August 25 however tickets are expected to sell quickly thus it is advisable to purchase as soon as possible. Cake4Kids will also hold a silent auction with 50 items for bidding as well as vendor demonstrations.
As a veteran attendee of the Cake-Off and a die-hard believer in the theory that everything tastes better covered frosting or chocolate, I can attest to the fact that none of the cakes in the cake-off need the frosting to be delicious, and that’s coming from a girl who has single handedly finished an entire can of frosting for breakfast. What’s also delicious is knowing that by enjoying 50 plus cakes, you are making a difference in the lives of multiple foster and at-risk youth by helping to ensure that they will have a birthday cake this year and every year to come. It’s not a bad deal at all when you think about it; a win-win situation for everyone. That’s what I call a sweet deal.
