With the help of home cooks, celebrity chefs and other supporters, Cook for the Cure, a partnership between Susan G. Komen for the Cure and KitchenAid, has reached its 10th anniversary and has raised $8 million for the fight against breast cancer.
“Cook for the Cure was created to give those who love to cook and entertain a number of ways to support the cause by doing what they do best,” said Debbie O’Connor, senior manager of brand experience for KitchenAid. “It adds another layer of purpose to one of life’s great pleasures, cooking and enjoying food with family and friends.”
For the 10th anniversary year, KitchenAid has committed to a minimum of $450,000 in donations to Susan G. Komen for the Cure in 2011, supported through the sale and registration of pink KitchenAid products together with celebrity chef auctions and grass roots efforts that encourage cooks to get friends and family involved.
To mark the 10-year milestone, KitchenAid has introduced a new Raspberry Ice 5-quart Artisan series stand mixer. This dark pink mixer joins a softer-hued pink Cook for the Cure model introduced in 2001 and a white model with pink trim band. Another way cooks can participate in the program is to present a friend or family member with a homemade culinary creation on a serving plate that can be “re-gifted” to further support the cause. The “Pass the Plate” component of Cook for the Cure generates a $5 donation every time an individually numbered Villeroy & Boch serving plate is passed on and registered here. A new plate will be introduced featuring artwork created by PBS cooking show host Jacques Pépin.
Cooks also are invited to participate in “1,000 Cooks for the Cure,” a weeklong event taking place Friday, July 15, through Sunday, July 24, 2011. The idea is for participants to host any kind of event, from a Friday office or dessert party to a weekend barbecue or potluck dinner, to raise funds for the cause. “What makes these get-togethers easy is that in lieu of flowers or other gifts, hosts encourage their friends and family to bring their checkbooks and make a donation,” said O’Connor. “It’s a simple add-on to entertaining that can raise hundreds or even thousands for the cause.”
Those interested in hosting a party can register online and obtain a unique host identification number. Registered hosts will be given access to an information kit that includes party ideas, recipes and donation gathering information. To help hosts connect with guests and others planning parties, KitchenAid will feature 1,000 Cooks for the Cure as an event on its Facebook page and provide updates via Twitter.
