Karma's a beeyotch.
A few months ago I chaperoned a 6th grade dance (don't get me started -- some of those girls have better lingerie than I do). I was chatting with the organizer of the dance, who is a very lovely person, and she suggested with great enthusiasm that we hold a fundraising bake sale for PKD at the next 6th grade dance. How do you say no to that? You can't.
The next 6th grade dance is a week from tonight.
Now, I'm not in a panic -- I have several tubs of scratch cookie dough already in the freezer, ready to bake up -- but I am in a quandary. To wit, how many cookies can/will 100 sweaty, jacked-up 6th graders eat/buy in a two-hour period? If I over-bake, the excess will somehow magically apply itself to my
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I have only myself to blame for this next one. Every spring, our delightful little hamlet holds a Charity Fun Fair, in which town center closes to motor traffic and dozens of booths, each supporting a specific charity and manned by volunteers, spring up all along the sidewalks. It's on April 20 this year. There are moon bounces and picnic areas and live music and it's generally a lot of fun. We're going to have a table selling baked goods (and homemade doggie biscuits!), and I have no concerns about quantity on this one -- as much as I'm able to bake, that's how much we'll sell. Period.
However, it was suggested to me by one of the organizers that the booths with activities attract more traffic and tend to raise more money. Now, I'm not about to set up a ring toss or anything like that. But...... what do y'all think of a raffle, with the prize being a custom special occasion cake? I'd put some parameters in place as to scope (no three-tiered wedding cakes, yo), and make a little display with color copies of some of my past cakes. Do you think people would buy raffle tickets for such an item, and is $1 a good ticket price?
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One last question for the pretty, pretty internets. I'd like to have a name associated with the baking -- not a business name, per se, but some kind of name that invokes baking and elegance and sugary goodness. Something with more polish than "Cookies for a Cure." Wanna make this one a contest? The winning name will get a dozen fresh-baked cookies hand-delivered (if you're local) or mailed (if you're not). I'll even let you pick the flavor.
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Tell me what you think on questions 1 & 2, and leave name suggestions in the comments. Thank you in advance for saving my brain from exploding.
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8 comments:
Yes, I'd buy a ticket for that cake! A $1 is a steal! You might even offer 6 for $5, too. I've seen that at many a charity fair. In fact, I'll be sure to stop by your table as we go every year! Will the cute doggie be there hawking the biscuits?
Also, the name? Um. Lemonade and kidneys? Seriously. I think it is a good name.
What was the other question? Oh. Sweaty kids. Cookies. Um. I'm thinking (depending on how much you sell them for) that you could probably get them to buy about 200 cookies at the very least. If you bag them 2-3 per bag and stick to popular flavors, I'm sure they will be gone in NO TIME!
I agree with DG on all counts. I was immediately intrigued by your blog title when we met - if you add a tag explaining it (so as not to have people think that you add said kidneys to the cookies ;) ), you'll be homefree. It's very memorable.
As for the raffle, calculate what a cake like that would cost and cover it - I'd pay double your suggested price easily.
I agree with 200, but if I didn't have any answers to compare mine to, I'd've said 100 or 150. They might be distracted from the cookies with dancing - but I'd definitely have something to drink there too, if you haven't already decided that & just not mentioned it . . . cookies dry out the mouth sometimes. :)
And again, I kinda agree with the raffle comments, but if there hadn't been other answers, I'd've suggested 50 cents. A lot of people will just buy two because the have $1, but the request for paper money might chase away the people with spending limits or on their way out . . . unlike a price that could very easily be in your pocket in change when you think you're all done . . . it's a battle between more money or more draw, I suppose.
Can't think of anything really earth shattering for the name though. Cake n' bake as opposed to shake 'n bake . . . sweet booth as opposed to sweet tooth. Probably not the polish you were looking for (which, by the way, is the only word in the English language that changes pronunciation when it is capitalized - isn't that interesting?) Lemonade & Kidneys is fine.
So after all that, I pretty much just agree with everyone . . .
Who am I to disagree with Domestic Goddess, especially when she's right.
Spot on about the cookies, and raffle tickets were going for 6 for $5.00 years ago, and selling well, in my experience. $1 for singles is great, but I'd push the 6 for $5. You may be pleasantly surprised.
Now as for a name for your baking enterprise, are something like Delectable Delicacies or Superlative Sweets just too icky for words? I rather like Delectable Delicacies by Ruth. (What I really like is Undeniably Delectable Delicacies by Ruth, but that may be a bit much.)
The name I really, really like is The Best Damned Baked Goods You'll Probably Ever Eat Baked by a Financial Analyst (insert exactly what it is you do) with a B.A. in English from an Ivy League University as Well as an Advanced Degree from The Wharton School Not to Mention She is Doing This for a Cure for PKD. But then I like short and to the point.
Marcia
Ooh! Ooh! That's it! Marcia wins! Delectable Delicacies is perfect!!! Don't even read my other comment!
NICE, Marcia. And you can't say no to alliteration.
-Ripley
$3 a ticket MINIMUM...they can afford it. I like DG's cookies in a bag idea for the dance. I'll work on the name. I'll also volunteer to bake for/with you. WRH can get a bake on! Keep me posted. Thanks for the tequila offer...I don't know why I didn't see that earlier. I'll take you up on it soon!
I'm loving all of these ideas -- keep 'em coming! I'll leave this open for a few days to let The Well Read Hostess chime in, then announce a winner.
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