With all the preparation that goes into Thanksgiving - travel plans, turkey brines, and table tops - it's pretty easy to lose sight of the whole point of the holiday. While I love all the talk of Heritage Breed Birds and debates on stuffing I am all about the gratitude. Giving thanks and giving back as a family is on the minds of so many of my friends, but it's not always easy. Making a cash donation doesn't give kids any hands-on contact with a cause (and might not be in the budget) and volunteering with little kids can be tricky if not downright impossible. This is one of the many reasons I support Cookies for Kids Cancer - everyone can do it. If you can bake, you can help. 
Cookies for Kids Cancer was started by New Jersey mom Gretchen Holt Witt after losing her 7-year old son Liam to pediatric cancer. His four year battle was made all the more heart-wrenching when Gretchen learned that treatment options had run out, and that lack of funding prevented new ones from being developed. Gretchen became a "mom on a mission. In Liam's memory, she confronted her unimaginable grief in the most maternal of ways: with cookies. And bake sales. Lots and lots of them. Cookies For Kids Cancer was born and has since raised over 4 million dollars. 
This past summer, our family co-hosted our 2nd Cookies For Kids Cancer bake sale along with our friend Michelle Rotman Jassem and her kids. We baked for days, and solicited donations of baked goods (thanks Fresh Direct!). Running their own bake sale, the kids felt empowered to have real impact - after all that baking and selling, they raised $2400 (thanks in part to very generous corporate matching donations). A great accomplishment for them.
It was a beautiful afternoon of chatting with friends and neighbors while the kids sold cookies. As family projects go, this was a pretty great way to spend a Saturday. An annual tradition for sure. 
And on that note, Gretchen has now come out with a beautiful book, Best Bake Sale Cook Book featuring the tried and true bake sale favorites (beautifully styled by Michelle Rotman Jassem), with all proceeds going to Cookies For Kids Cancer. It’s a must for any mom on the cupcake circuit. Cookies for Kids Cancer has raised over $4 million dollars since 2007 through neighborhood bake sales and online retail sales. To host a bake sale or to send cookies as a holiday or birthday gift visit the website - and there are some other great ways that you can give thanks and give back!