A Bat Mitzvah Bake Sale for Gift of Life
Nov 22, 2011 by Gift of Life
News
When Zoe and Margo were planning their bake sale, they knew that they didn’t want it to be ordinary. The two seventh graders wanted to donate all of the funds raised at their sale to a non-profit organization: Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation. Both girls will be celebrating their Bat Mitzvahs next year, and as a part of their Mitzvah projects, they decided to host a fundraiser at their town’s Harvest Festival.
Zoe first heard about Gift of Life through her mom, Aimee, who joined the bone marrow registry at their local synagogue. Though she was called as a potential match, she did not end up donating. Because of her familiarity with Gift of Life, Aimee inquired about the Mitzvah Project Program. After learning more about the program and the foundation, Margo and Zoe chose to combine their love of baking with helping a good cause. With a project in place, the girls set about planning and organizing their bake sale.
To help with the success of their event, they chose to hold the fundraiser during an already established event, the annual Harvest Festival. The event took place in their town, Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, a small town located within Whitpain Township. They wrote a proposal to present to the city council to ask for booth space at the fest. After they gained permission, and with the date of the festival looming, the girls set about planning what they would make and recruiting their friends from school and soccer to help with the baking, especially since they knew they couldn’t create all of the treats by themselves. For two weeks, the girls and their friends got together to make delicious treats to sell to their community.
Finally, the day for the bake sale arrived. On October 15th, Zoe and Margo set up their booth, displaying a tri-fold presentation board with information about Gift of Life and their project. Over the course of six hours, they sold an assortment of goodies, from brownies and cookies to chocolate-covered marshmallows and pretzels, and even pumpkin bread, raising over $500. Zoe says that informing people on what their money was going towards and giving the sale a personal connection helped sell more baked treats, and she passed her passion and knowledge of Gift of Life’s missions to others.
In the wake of their tremendously successful bake sale, the girls are already planning at least two more fundraisers. They don’t want to make it a one-time event, and are even considering branching out to include Margo’s hand-crafted bracelets. Their eagerness and passion to help others is inspiring, and they have truly fulfilled the mitzvot of Pikuach Nefesh (saving a life) and Tikkun Olam (repairing the world). If you or your child is interested in hosting your own fundraiser or participating in the Mitzvah Project program, please call 1-800-9MARROW.
