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Cookbook Fundraiser for Sick Children

by Ellen
(Portland, Oregon, USA)

When I was in high school, one of my cousins was diagnosed with leukemia. Since his parents weren't well off, the community came together to try to help. Instead of having jars with his picture on them next to the check-out aisles of local stores, our family chose to use a cookbook fundraiser to help support his medical care.
The cookbook my aunt chose was beautiful- it had a nicely illustrated cover and even some artistic flourishes on the pages. The recipes were mostly all-American style dishes, but there was a lot of variety as well. The cookbook had many unique dishes that some people hadn't heard of. Some recipes were quick and easy for weekday meals, and there were some fancy enough for a romantic dinner for two.
We were all skeptical of the cookbook fundraiser idea at first, but it took off like wildfire. All our relatives bought one, even if they lived in other states. When the results of the recipes started showing up at local potlucks, even strangers asked to buy this fundraising cookbook.
Though my cousin eventually lost his battle with leukemia, the family and friends of the family still think of him every time we pull that cookbook off the shelf or spend time cooking up a storm for Thanksgiving.

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