Cookies for Kids’ Cancer is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to raising funds for pediatric cancer research. Founded in 2008, the organization empowers individuals, families, schools, and businesses across the country to get involved. From bake sales and athletic challenges to community festivals and corporate campaigns, supporters from every background can participate and make a difference.
Cancer is the leading disease-related cause of death among children in the United States. Each year, more than 17,000 children are diagnosed, and one in five will not survive. Two-thirds of survivors endure long-term, often debilitating side effects from toxic treatments.
Despite these devastating statistics, childhood cancer research remains drastically underfunded, which means most therapies kids receive were designed for adults and merely adjusted for smaller bodies. This funding gap is exactly why cookies for kids cancer initiatives are so critical.
We believe children fighting cancer deserve more — more hope, more options, and more breakthroughs. We’re here to make sure they get them.
Why we do it
Cookies for Kids’ Cancer was born out of love and loss. In 2007, two-year-old Liam Witt was diagnosed with neuroblastoma. His parents, Gretchen and Larry Witt, were devastated to learn that pediatric cancers were largely underfunded and under-researched, so they decided to act.
Gretchen baked and sold 96,000 cookies, raising more than $400,000 for pediatric cancer research. That single bake sale sparked a movement. Soon people nationwide asked how they could help. Out of that groundswell of support, Cookies for Kids’ Cancer became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a mission to empower everyone to create real impact through simple acts of kindness.
Today, we honor Liam and all the children we call our Tough Cookies — the brave kids who have battled or are currently fighting cancer. Their strength fuels our work, their stories inspire action, and their faces remind us daily why this mission matters. Families are invited to share their child’s story with us and join the Tough Cookie program, helping raise awareness and showing the real impact behind every dollar. We’d be honored to share your child’s journey.
How we do it
We fund early-stage research that has the strongest science behind it and the best chance of moving from a lab bench to a child’s bedside as quickly as possible. Think of us as venture capitalists — providing critical seed funding to prove a scientific theory.
Our all-star Medical Advisory Board, made up of top researchers from leading centers across the country, guides the grant process. Proposals go directly to this board, which thoroughly reviews each request and identifies urgent needs and promising developments that could bring safer, more effective treatments to children faster.
How you can help
The beauty of Cookies for Kids’ Cancer is that anyone can get involved. Our community includes students, teachers, athletes, bakers, businesses, and families — people united by one goal: to raise funds and awareness for kids facing cancer.
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Host a bake sale or fundraiser
From neighborhood bake sales to office challenges, we provide everything you need — digital toolkits, promotional materials, and one-on-one support — to make your event a success.
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Shop with purpose
Our gourmet cookies are baked fresh and shipped nationwide. They’re perfect for birthdays, holidays, client appreciation, or just because. One hundred percent of proceeds from every box support our mission.
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Join a challenge or event
We run campaigns and events throughout the year, including the annual Good Cookie Challenge. Sign up solo or build a team — it’s a fun, meaningful way to make a difference.
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Make a donation
Whether it’s a one-time gift or monthly support, your donation goes directly to pediatric cancer research. You can even give in honor of a Tough Cookie in your life.
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Spread the word
Follow us on social media, share our mission, and encourage your network to join in. Awareness fuels action, and every share counts.
Why it matters
Behind every statistic is a child — a life full of potential, joy, and dreams. Kids like Liam, who inspired a movement, and all of our Tough Cookies, who are fighting with everything they have, deserve better treatments and more options.
At Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, hope isn’t passive — it’s an action. When we act with purpose, compassion, and determination, incredible things happen.
So we bake. We give. We rally. We believe — until every child has a fighting chance and cancer is no longer part of childhood.
Visit cookiesforkidscancer.org to learn more, start a fundraiser, or send some sweet support. Because every cookie counts — and so does every person who cares.
Together, we’re making a difference.
