There is no shortage of unique interests among students at Tampa Prep. One way students find like-minded peers and passions is through joining clubs, or creating their own. Sophomore Gabrielle Maxwell combined two seemingly unrelated ideas, baking and charity, to create Cookies for a Cause. The club is co-headed by Reese Denman, who is the club’s Head of Marketing.
Denman and Maxwell came up with the club over summer break, and as Maxwell describes, the idea came to them while they baked and talked about the pressure that comes along with college and resumes.
“I was baking chocolate chip cookies with Reese, and we had this moment where we looked at each other and said, ‘What if we could do something with this?’” Maxwell said.
Maxwell wants the club’s proceeds to fund organizations that are actively making a difference in communities around the world. While choosing an organization to donate to, she considers factors such as current events that may contribute to the needs of different people.
“We want to choose causes that resonate with people and are relevant to what’s going on in the world,” she said.
For its first bake sale in September, the club donated its proceeds to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay, who provide shelter for homeless and at-risk animals in Tampa.
During the second bake sale in October, Cookies for a Cause raised over $500 for the International Committee of the Red Cross, who offer humanitarian aid to those affected by the conflict in the Gaza Strip.
“The International Committee of the Red Cross [helps] families and communities affected by armed conflict in regions all over the world. They ensure humanitarian protection and assistance to people in situations of violence,” according to an Instagram post from Cookies for a Cause.
Aside from current events, Maxwell also takes into account what sorts of issues may come up during certain times of year. Last month in November, the bake sale supported End 68 Hours of Hunger, an organization who fights food insecurity in local schools. Food insecurity is a prevalent year-round issue, but is especially apparent during the holiday season.
“Some school children are completely dependent on free school lunches and breakfast. This program uses donations to make bags of food to donate to kids,” as quoted by the club’s Instagram.
This week, on December 7th, the club will work with another club, Prep Care Squad, to host its fourth bake sale of the semester. They will donate their proceeds to the Children’s Cancer Center in Tampa.
“The upcoming bake sale is for the Children’s Cancer Center, and the money that we raise will be used to buy toys for the patients,” said Lucy Haura, a Head Baker of Cookies for a Cause.
For Maxwell and other members of the club, being able to see a positive impact is a gratifying part of involvement in Cookies for a Cause. She acknowledges that although the money they raise may not feel like a significant amount, it still manages to make a change for the better.
“Sometimes it’s easy to feel small as high school students,” Maxwell said, “but doing something like this and knowing that we helped to make a difference is really fulfilling.”
