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	<title>Cakes &#8211; Icing Smiles, Inc.</title>
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	<title>Cakes &#8211; Icing Smiles, Inc.</title>
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		<title>An Under the Sea Gratitude Party</title>
		<link>https://www.icingsmiles.org/an-under-the-sea-gratitude-party/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=an-under-the-sea-gratitude-party</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Icing Smiles]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 26 May 2023 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Medical Families]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sugar Angels]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Baking A Difference]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cakes]]></category>
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					<description><![CDATA[From being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer to celebrating her fourth birthday, McKenna is grateful for wonderful friends, family, and her Sugar Angel.   McKenna and her family were beyond grateful for the support of those around them as McKenna battled cancer at the very young age of 3 years old. After undergoing multiple surgeries [&#8230;]]]></description>
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<h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">From being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer to celebrating her fourth birthday, McKenna is grateful for wonderful friends, family, and her Sugar Angel.</span></h4>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>McKenna and her family were beyond grateful</strong> for the support of those around them as McKenna battled cancer at the very young age of 3 years old. After undergoing multiple surgeries and seven months of chemotherapy, it was time to celebrate life with a party fit for a mermaid! </span></p>
<h2><b>Life Isn’t the Bubbles</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For little McKenna, her first years of life were just like any other’s, but then on Dec. 28, 2018, her world turned upside down. Diagnosed with a stage 4 </span><a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/wilms-tumor/symptoms-causes/syc-20352655#:~:text=Wilms%20tumor%20is%20a%20rare,older%20children%20and%20even%20adults." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wilm’s tumor</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, her family faced a difficult journey. This cancer of the kidneys affects children typically at the tender age of 3 or 4. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although most children with a Wilm’s tumor have the cancer localized in the kidneys, doctors discovered that the tumor had traveled to McKenna’s heart. She had open-heart surgery, her right kidney removed, and part of her liver resectioned as well.</span></p>
<h2><b>Part of that World</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Surgery and recovery were difficult and McKenna, and her parents were forced to stay at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia while their three older children stayed with family. Grateful for a successful surgery, McKenna then underwent seven months of chemotherapy and radiation — no easy task for anyone, but particularly hard on a 3-year-old girl. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Gratefully, the chemotherapy and radiation were also effective, and McKenna was considered in remission. She will continue to need scans every three months, but she no longer spends as much time apart of the hospital world.</span></p>
<h2><b>Where the People Are</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">McKenna was never alone on her journey and was blessed by the support of her family, friends, and a wonderful Sugar Angel who created a stunning <em>Little Mermaid-</em>inspired cake for her Under the Sea gratitude party. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">McKenna’s mother, Carrie, describes the cake.</span></p>
<blockquote><p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It was an incredible cake. Beyond beautiful.”</span></i></p></blockquote>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Surviving surgery and cancer is no easy feat, and McKenna and her family continue to live in gratitude for the help of others and the continuing research that goes into improving cancer treatments and medicine. Celebratory cakes are a sweet form of medicine. Click the link below to find out how you can Create a Smile by producing a cake as a Sugar Angel.</span></p>
<p><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/us-volunteer-application/"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="alignleft wp-image-13641 size-full" src="https://www.icingsmiles.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Create-a-Smile-CTA.png" alt="" width="1725" height="575" /></a></p>
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		<title>How to Enhance the Impact of Your Cake</title>
		<link>https://www.icingsmiles.org/how-to-enhance-the-impact-of-your-cake/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=how-to-enhance-the-impact-of-your-cake</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Icing Smiles]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Sugar Angels]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Baking A Difference]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cakes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Donations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Support]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Volunteers]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://pl-icing-smiles.local/how-to-enhance-the-impact-of-your-cake/</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Cake and cookie sponsorships are just as much about friendraising as it is about fundraising.   Sherry Day has baked 17 cakes for Icing Smiles families. After each cake, she creates a cake sponsorship fundraising page to not only help offset her cake supply costs but also to raise funds for Icing Smiles.  Cake and [&#8230;]]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Cake and cookie sponsorships are just as much about friendraising as it is about fundraising.</span></h4>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong> </strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Sherry Day has baked 17 cakes for Icing Smiles families.</strong> After each cake, she creates a cake sponsorship fundraising page to not only help offset her cake supply costs but also to raise funds for Icing Smiles. </span></p>
<p><a href="https://givebutter.com/IcingSmilesCakeSponsorship" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Cake</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><a href="https://givebutter.com/IcingSmilesCookieSponsorship/join" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">cookie</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> sponsorships are important for Icing Smiles. In 2022, Sugar Angels helped bring in over $6,000 for the organization through their sponsorship pages. However, the true magic of these fundraisers is that they’re also “friendraisers.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“By sharing about Icing Smiles and the cakes they’re making, more people are learning of our cause and mission, helping us to grow toward our organization’s goal of becoming a household name,” says </span><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/icing-smiles-administrative-staff/#1598314411835-64f2e11e-1c8b" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Development Coordinator Chelsea Boog</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. </span></p>
<h2>How You Can Become a Friendraiser</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A cake or cookie sponsorship is a type of peer-to-peer fundraiser. This is a strategy where a Sugar Angel hosts a personal campaign to collect donations from their friends, family, and colleagues on Icing Smiles’ behalf. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Icing Smiles provides all the tools you’ll need to get sponsors for your cake or cookies. In just a few short steps, you’re able to set up your personal fundraising page. We’ve made it easy by providing a template to help you get started, but you know your connections best. It can help to tweak the suggested messages or write your own to promote your fundraiser in your own style.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After your page is up and running, we also provide templates you can use to reach out to your friends and family about your fundraising efforts and to thank those who donate.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This type of fundraising not only raises money for Icing Smiles. It also increases exposure for our organization and helps us expand our reach to new, previously unexplored networks of supporters.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“People don’t realize it’s not just about money,” says </span><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/biography-tracy-quisenberry/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Icing Smiles Founder Tracy Quisenberry</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. “It’s about telling </span><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/our-beginning/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">our story</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">That’s one of the big reasons why Sherry says she creates sponsorships for the cakes she makes for Icing Smiles: “The more I get the name out there, the more people are aware and can share with other people.” </span></p>
<h2>Fundraising Tips for Sponsorships</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fundraising doesn’t come naturally to everyone. Many people feel ​​apprehensive or nervous at the thought of asking people for money. Maybe you don’t like talking about money. That’s normal: Money is a taboo subject in our culture, and we often have an aversion to talking about money. Or perhaps you fear you’ll be rejected, even if you have a close, personal relationship with the person you’re asking.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I can understand why people feel like it’s awkward to ask someone,” Sherry says. “But most people are willing to help with something that maybe they’re not capable of doing, like the cake themselves, but they’re willing to sponsor something.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you still have some lingering fundraising anxiety, here are some tips that can help. </span></p>
<h3>1. Share Your Why</h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It can help to think about fundraisers as opportunities to build and deepen relationships with people in your network. When you ask for donations, focus on more than just the need. Friends, family, and colleagues will be more likely to contribute when they know why Icing Smiles matters to you. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I don’t think of it as asking for a donation,” Sherry says. “It’s more, ‘Hey, this is what I’m doing. If you’d like to join with me in it, if you want to help, that would be great.’”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Share your personal connection to Icing Smiles on your fundraising page and in messages to drive awareness and donations to your page. The story of why you got involved and why this work matters to you will help resonate with friends, family, and connections you have and often inspire them to act. In the end, people give to people. </span></p>
<h3>2. Use Social to Spread Awareness</h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Remember that cake and cookie sponsorships are just as much about raising awareness as they are about raising money. Social media is a great platform to spread the word in creative ways. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Social media is really great to use as a tool,” Sherry says. “Everybody’s on there all the time looking at stuff. When you put it on social, people can share it and it gets shared again. You’re reaching so many people that way.”</span></p>
<h3>3. Start Now</h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Starting is half the battle. Don’t wait to be in the mood to ask people for money. That mood likely isn’t going to hit you anytime soon. So begin now! </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Draft your letter (we’ve provided a few templates), identify the people you want to hit up, send a test email to yourself, and go. Send three personal emails before you go home. The next day, post your fundraising page to Facebook. Then fire off a nice letter to your mom or dad. You got this!</span></p>
<h3>4. Be OK with Hearing No</h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You won’t get a donation from every person you ask, and that’s OK. It doesn’t mean that you did a bad job. There are plenty of reasons a prospective donor will say no. Sometimes people get distracted or don’t have the money to donate. It’s not a reflection on you in the slightest.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Understanding this, politely follow up with anyone who didn’t donate the first time you reached out. You can also suggest other ways they can show support for free, such as sharing your fundraiser on their social networks.</span></p>
<h3>5. Say Thank You</h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Make sure you say thank you, whether by email, text, or phone. A thank you always goes a long way, and it lets your donors know that their efforts are appreciated. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Say thank you and follow up with a short and fun report on how your call to action went and how your sponsorship campaign ended up. This closes the loop appropriately in your donor’s eyes and sets you up nicely to connect with them after your next cake or cookie delivery. </span></p>
<h2>Start Your Cake or Cake Sponsorship</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sugar Angels, are you ready to rally your friends, family, and networks to support your cake and Icing Smiles? Starting a fundraiser is easy. We’ll give you all the tools you’ll need to get sponsors for your cake.</span></p>
<p><a href="https://givebutter.com/IcingSmilesCakeSponsorship" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img decoding="async" class="alignleft wp-image-13456" src="https://www.icingsmiles.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Gather-Your-Friends-Create-a-Sponsorship.png" alt="" width="1281" height="427" /></a></p>
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		<title>Icing Smiles’ 2022 Year in Review</title>
		<link>https://www.icingsmiles.org/icing-smiles-2022-year-in-review/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=icing-smiles-2022-year-in-review</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Icing Smiles]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 16 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Admin Team]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Medical Families]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sugar Angels]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Baker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cakes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Donations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Support]]></category>
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					<description><![CDATA[A look back on 2022 and some of the things that made us smile   As the year comes to a close and we reflect back on what we’ve accomplished as a community, the smiles on the faces over at Icing Smiles headquarters just keep growing bigger.  That just might be the theme of our [&#8230;]]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">A look back on 2022 and some of the things that made us smile</span></h4>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong> </strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>As the year comes to a close and we reflect back</strong> on what we’ve accomplished as a community, the smiles on the faces over at <a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/behind-the-scenes-a-week-at-icing-smiles-headquarters/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Icing Smiles headquarters</a> just keep growing bigger. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">That just might be the theme of our year: growth. We grew the number of smiles we delivered. We grew our network of sponsors and supporters. We grew the number of Sugar Angels around the country who help us create smiles. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I am so proud of what we were able to accomplish this year,” says </span><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/biography-tracy-quisenberry/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Icing Smiles Founder Tracy Quisenberry</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. “We’re getting back to delivering as many cakes as we were before the pandemic. We implemented a </span><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/why-were-upgrading-our-crm-and-how-it-helps-us-deliver-more-smiles/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">new scheduling software</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> that has us ready for continued growth. Fundraisers like </span><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/sugar-angel-beth-townsend-raises-25k-for-icing-smiles/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sugar Angel Beth Townsend</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> showed us what individuals are capable of achieving.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ultimately, we’ve continued to grow the impact Icing Smiles is making in the lives of families impacted by the critical illness of a child. Here’s a look back on 2022 and some of the top moments that made us smile.</span></p>
<h2>We Delivered Over 2,180 Cakes and 868 Cookies</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Until there’s a cure, we’re going to keep delivering cakes and cookies to families impacted by the critical illness of a child. As of Dec.16, 2022, we’ve delivered 2,182 cakes and 868 dozen cookies. Each delivery affirmed that </span><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/why-a-simple-cake-is-such-a-big-deal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">these baked goods are way more than a sweet treat</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. They’re a temporary escape from worry and a positive memory during a difficult time.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here are some of our favorite stories from 2022: </span><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/finishing-chemo-with-a-cake-from-candice/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kenny finished chemo</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and received a celebratory </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Cars</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">-themed dream cake from Sugar Angel Candice Simeoni. </span><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/an-18th-birthday-cake-for-mikey/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mikey celebrated his 18th birthday</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> with help from Sugar Angel Chavella Wellington. </span><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/alan-turns-seven/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Alan celebrated his seventh birthday</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, as well as being almost a year treatment-free after being diagnosed three years ago with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, with a ​​two-tiered Minecraft cake created by Sugar Angel April Perez. </span><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/celebrating-jaidyns-graduation-sugar-angel/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jaidyn celebrated her high school graduation</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> with a two-tier marble cake, decorated in her school colors, made by Sugar Angel Jamie Bybee. </span><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/one-journey-ends-another-one-begins/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ava also celebrated her high school graduation</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> — and 18th birthday — with a cake made by ​​Sugar Angel Sasha. </span><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/into-the-spider-verse-to-celebrate-liam-turning-10/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Liam and his family celebrated his 10th birthday</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> — the first party he has had since he was 6 years old — with an epic Spiderman cake from Sugar Angel Lisa Velesbir. </span><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/no-more-treatment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Charlie celebrated the end of leukemia treatment</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. </span><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/ollie-is-a-heart-warrior/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ollie and his family celebrated the one-year anniversary</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> of his second open-heart surgery. </span><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/eliana-turns-9/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Eliana’s celebrated her ninth birthday</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> with a beautifully decorated cake from ​​​​Sugar Angel Cynthia C.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">​​“She was so excited to have a custom cake made for her birthday,” says ​​​​Eliana’s mom, Teresa. “All of our guests thought it was so beautiful, and that made Eliana feel so special! Thank you for providing these beautiful cakes for our little ones. They go through so much, and these cakes really are a ray of light on their journeys.”</span></p>
<h2>570 New Bakers Joined Our Sugar Angel Roster</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We couldn’t do what we do without the generous network of volunteer bakers across the country who sign up to spend countless hours and up to hundreds of dollars creating a custom cake for a stranger. This year, 570 generous and kind-hearted individuals signed up to Sugar Angels, bringing our list of total active Sugar Angel count to 13,133!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We loved hearing from some of our Sugar Angels about </span><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/what-it-takes-to-be-a-sugar-angel/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">what it takes to be a Sugar Angel</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/what-being-a-sugar-angel-means-to-me/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">what being Sugar Angel means to them. </span></a></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It means so much to be able to take a small burden off the family and put a smile on their faces,” says Michele Quinn Fulford from Atlantic City, New Jersey. “I believe all of us who have a passion for baking do it with love and that is what these families need. Any way to bring a bit of joy and help in some way doing what I love is a blessing.”</span></p>
<h2>Our Supporters Continue to Help Us Bake a Difference</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We were blown away by the support we received from donors in 2022. From Violet’s Bake Sale and Sugarthon to Best Cake Ever and Giving Tuesday, our donors and </span><a href="https://icingsmiles.networkforgood.com/projects/56322-smile-squad" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Smile Squad members</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> aren’t just providing cake or cookies — they are spreading joy by creating positive memories and a sense of normalcy for the families we serve!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sugar Angels held over 35 </span><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/violets-bake-sale/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Violet’s Bake Sales</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, raising over $9,000 to help more critically ill children. Our eighth annual </span><a href="https://my.360photocontest.com/best-cake-ever?fbclid=IwAR1cvR2OWiuEZqWvRYmSGv0EPsvcRm0reHKRoV4tSMLurcVG9q50DSZ4EZk" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Best Cake Ever</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> competition drew 130 entrants and raised $8,132. On Giving Tuesday, we set a goal to cover the cost of delivering one week of cakes — that’s 55 cakes, as it costs Icing Smiles $40 to deliver each cake — and we met it, raising $2,255! </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Our second annual Sugarthon, featuring Rachael Teufel, Anne Heap, and Joshua John Russell, raised $7,900. “This was our first year partnering with <a href="https://www.craftsy.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Craftsy</a>, and they took our vision and made it a reality,” says </span><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/icing-smiles-administrative-staff/#1598314411835-64f2e11e-1c8b" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Development Coordinator Chelsea Boog</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, who notes this event wouldn’t have been possible without our other sponsors: </span><a href="https://www.oceanquipconnectors.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">OceanQuip</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.dominosugar.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Domino Sugar</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://fatdaddios.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fat Daddios</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">King Arthur Flour</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://roxyandrich.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Roxy &amp; Rich</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and </span><a href="https://chefrubber.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Chef Rubber</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. “We really grew the potential of what we were able to accomplish with Craftsy producing the show and featuring top cake and sugar artists.” </span></p>
<h2>4 Companies Stepped Up to Help Us Deliver More Smiles</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We </span><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/why-we-love-icing-smiles/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">love partnering with companies that get our mission</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and want to help us make smiles possible. In 2022, four new companies signed on to be </span><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/sponsors/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">sponsors</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. </span></p>
<p><a href="https://www.decopac.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">DecoPac</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, a leading supplier of cake decorations to professional cake decorators and bakeries around the world, joined us to </span><a href="https://www.bakemag.com/articles/15787-decopac-to-sponsor-icing-smiles-pin-program" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">sponsor our Icing Smiles Pin Program</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. ​​A leader in edible technology innovation, </span><a href="https://www.icingimages.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Icing Images</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> donated a desktop edible printer system to our </span><a href="https://my.360photocontest.com/best-cake-ever?fbclid=IwAR1cvR2OWiuEZqWvRYmSGv0EPsvcRm0reHKRoV4tSMLurcVG9q50DSZ4EZk" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Best Cake Ever contest</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Whipped-topping manufacturer </span><a href="https://hananproducts.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hanan Products</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is helping us bake a difference by </span><a href="https://hananproducts.com/blog/how-hanan-is-helping-to-bake-a-difference" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">spreading the word about Icing Smiles</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and recruiting more volunteers, especially in the tri-state area. Hanan customers who sign up to become a Sugar Angel receive a swag bag from both Icing Smiles and Hanan Products. </span><a href="https://www.flavorx.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">FLAVORx</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, which allows kids to choose the taste of their medicine at the pharmacy, is not only monetarily supporting Icing Smiles but is also educating pharmacy staff on the Icing Smiles mission and providing them with resources to share with families of critically ill children.</span></p>
<h2>Our Volunteers Carried the Icing Smiles Vision Across the Country</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A vision carrier is someone who tells our story and makes an impact on another individual — and </span><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/vision-carriers-how-talking-about-icing-smiles-helps-us-bake-a-difference/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">we have so many vision carriers</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Luke Heizer of Luke’s Custom Cakes in Hamilton, Ohio, </span><a href="https://www.miamistudent.net/article/2022/11/lukes-custom-cakes?ct=content_open&amp;cv=cbox_sidebar" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">talked about his work as a Sugar Angel</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in an interview with the </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Miami Student</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> newspaper. Monica Castillo-Gonzalez of Momo’s Cakes </span><a href="https://www.monroenews.com/story/news/2022/03/12/business-profiles-momos-cakes-joins-betty-white-challenge/9426300002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">shared information about Icing Smiles</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in an interview with </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Monroe News</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Susan Richmond of Athol, Idaho; Tara Eldridge of Idaho Falls; and ​​Veronica Pavlosky of Missoula, Montana, </span><a href="https://www.idahoseniorindependent.com/icing-smiles/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">talked about their memorable experiences as Sugar Angels</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in a feature in the </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Idaho Senior Independent. </span></i></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It is incredible through word of mouth who this organization can reach,” Tracy says. “You never know who could be our next cake recipient, sponsor, or donor.”</span></p>
<h2>Cake Decorator Beth Townsend Raised $25K for Icing Smiles</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For the past few years, Sugar Angel Beth Townsend has designed a </span><a href="https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/2020/01/17/many-layers-behind-story-of-royal-palm-womans-specialty-cakes-on-display-at-fair/112226600/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">massive cake sculpture and set up a table at the South Florida Fair</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> — all to raise awareness for Icing Smiles. “West Palm Beach is a very big area,” Beth says. “We have a lot of children’s hospitals. But ​​not a lot of families know about Icing Smiles.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This year, the fair wasn’t able to donate space for Beth. Instead, it was going to cost thousands of dollars for a booth. “That defeats the whole purpose,” Beth says. “If I had that kind of cash, I’d just give that directly to Icing Smiles.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So that’s what Beth did: She set a goal to raise $2,000 for Icing Smiles — and ended up raising $25,000 in just three weeks. She </span><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/sugar-angel-beth-townsend-raises-25k-for-icing-smiles/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">presented the check to Icing Smiles</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">’ Assistant Director Karen Griffiths at the American Cake Awards in Miami.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We were in an audience full of very high-caliber cake people who could easily do this themselves and who have way more followers than I do with more street cred in the cake world,” Beth says. “I hope that it sets in motion other artists doing their own campaigns to raise more for Icing Smiles.”</span></p>
<h2>We Streamlined Operations to Serve More Families</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2022, we were able to transfer all cake and baker records into </span><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/why-were-upgrading-our-crm-and-how-it-helps-us-deliver-more-smiles/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">our new customer relationship management (CRM) system</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. The new database platform allows for easier and faster communication and more accurate data and minimizes the time spent on each request. So far, it has reduced the average application processing time from 30 minutes to 10 minutes.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It’s amazing how much less admin is needed to process baker and cake applications to completion,” says </span><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/icing-smiles-administrative-staff/#1605398761489-f150c1a0-9fd7" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Technology Coordinator Cindy Johnson</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. “Most other admins have been assigned to other volunteer areas, which </span><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/behind-the-scenes-a-week-at-icing-smiles-headquarters/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">alleviates workload</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">​​The efficiency gained through accurate and transparent data and automated emails frees up operations volunteers to focus on serving both families and bakers better, rather than just simply trying to keep the process moving forward one cake and email at a time. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We hope to grow our number of families served substantially in 2023,” says </span><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/biography-karen-griffiths/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Assistant Director Karen Griffiths</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. “We are also in the process of changing all of the templates to have additional, yet more concise, communication with our families and Sugar Angels. We hope this will eliminate some of the current concerns we are receiving through our feedback forms.”</span></p>
<h2>Join Our Mailing List</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As we look forward to 2023, we’re focused on building awareness of Icing Smiles among families impacted by the critical illness of a child. “We’re going to harness the momentum we built in 2022 and continue spreading the Icing Smiles vision to those deserving kids and families who don’t yet know about us,” Tracy says. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you want to help carry the Icing Smiles vision in 2023, sign up to receive periodic updates from the team. You can choose to receive the newsletters we send out every other month or to be notified when a new blog posts. We think you’ll enjoy reading about the smiles we help to create. These stories inspire us. They motivate us. And they are the reasons we are here.</span></p>
<p><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/stay-in-touch/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-12976 size-full" src="https://www.icingsmiles.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Stay-in-Touch.png" alt="Join Our Mailing List CTA" width="1200" height="400" /></a></p>
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		<title>5 Cake-decorating Supplies from Sugar Angels, Sponsor, and Supporters</title>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Icing Smiles]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 21 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Sugar Angels]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cake Decorating]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cakes]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://pl-icing-smiles.local/5-cake-decorating-supplies-from-sugar-angels-sponsor-and-supporters/</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Can you ever really have too many cake decorating supplies?   There’s a lot you can do with a cake spatula and some decorating tips. But our Icing Smiles family is a creative bunch. If you’re looking for new and fun ways to expand your cake-decorating repertoire, check out these cool tools and accessories created [&#8230;]]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Can you ever really have too many cake decorating supplies?</span></h4>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong> </strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>There’s a lot you can do with a cake spatula</strong> and some decorating tips. But our Icing Smiles family is a creative bunch. If you’re looking for new and fun ways to expand your cake-decorating repertoire, check out these cool tools and accessories created by Sugar Angels, sponsors, and Icing Smiles supporters.</span></p>
<h2>Cookie and Cake Stencils</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-13234" src="https://www.icingsmiles.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/BakeArt-Cookie-Stencils-1.png" alt="BakeArt Cookie Stencils" width="1202" height="708" /></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Want to add trendy patterns, holiday-themed designs, or custom artwork to your cookies and cakes? Laura Brady of </span><a href="https://bakeartstencils.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">BakeArt Stencils</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in Tampa, Florida, has designed over 1,2500 </span><a href="https://bakeartstencils.com/collections/all-cookie-stencils-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">cookie</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><a href="https://bakeartstencils.com/collections/cake-stencils" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">cake</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> stencils as well as other cookie- and cake-decorating tools. The reusable stencils are made of a food-safe plastic that is 5 mm in thickness and has a matte finish. In addition to the themes she offers, including holidays and season, events and celebrations, and patterns, Laura also takes custom stencil requests.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Laura wasn’t always a professional cookie-decorating queen. Her first career was in sales for a multimedia company. But when her son was born with many medical issues, going back to work wasn’t an option. “When I had my son, I needed to reinvent myself,” says the mom of three. “On top of that, all of my kids have food allergies — peanut, milk, eggs. I started getting real creative with making birthday cakes.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Combining her creative flair with her entrepreneurial spirit, Laura started watching YouTube videos and making cookie stencils and decorating tools. Not long after BakeArt Stencils was born, Laura made the stencils for Elisa Strauss’s first </span><a href="https://confetticakes.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Confetti Cakes</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> cake kit. An </span><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/why-we-love-icing-smiles/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Icing Smiles board member</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, Elisa told Laura about our mission, and Laura knew she wanted to be involved. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This is such a full circle for me,” Laura says. “Being the mother of a sick kid, understanding the exhaustion and expense that goes with it, not being able to make your kid better. There were so many organizations that gave sweet things to my son when he was in the hospital. I asked Elisa, ‘What can I do?’”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Over the years, BakeArt Stencils has donated stencils, tools, and gift certificates to Icing Smiles, and she offers Sugar Angels </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/icingsmiles/photos/gm.1338511336651300/10158218321767680/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">$5 off any order</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> on the BakeArt Stencils website (promo code SUGARANGELS). </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We have been so fortunate to have had the help of so many amazing philanthropies along the way,” she says. “We feel it is our responsibility to give back to our communities to try and help out other families in need.”</span></p>
<h2>Custom Cutters and Embossers</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-13235 size-large" src="https://www.icingsmiles.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Custom-Cutters-and-Embossers-by-Erin.png" alt="Custom Cutters and Embossers by Erin" width="1024" height="924" /></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you’re ready to experiment with imprinting decorative designs on fondant or buttercream, </span><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/what-it-takes-to-be-a-sugar-angel/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">​​Sugar Angel Erin Christensen</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> offers 3D-printed cookie cutters and embossers through </span><a href="https://www.customcakesandcupcakes.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Custom Cutters and Embossers by Erin</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. In addition to creating </span><a href="https://www.custombakingbyerin.com/alphabet-stamps-and-cutters.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">alphabet embossing stamp sets</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, fondant and cookie cutters, and the </span><a href="https://www.custombakingbyerin.com/flower-nail-buddy.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Flower Nail Buddy</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (a stand that holds up your piped buttercream and royal icing flowers on your flower nail while you switch piping tips!), Erin shares videos, tutorials, and recipes on her website.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Like many bakers, Erin’s passion for cake decorating started at home. “When I first started having kids a few years ago, I wanted them to have more epic, interesting, one-of-a-kind birthday cakes,” she says. Today, she makes sweet treats for clients through </span><a href="https://www.customcakesandcupcakes.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Custom Cakes and Cupcakes by Erin</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in Circle Pines, Minnesota, and for families as an </span><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/what-it-takes-to-be-a-sugar-angel/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Icing Smiles Sugar Angel</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I saw some people posting about Icing Smiles a couple of years ago and checked it out,” she says. “I thought it was very cool and right up my alley: Crazy birthday cakes for kids is my passion. You’re helping a family, helping a little kiddo. It’s super rewarding.”</span></p>
<h2>Icing Smiles Sprinkles</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft wp-image-13236 size-medium" src="https://www.icingsmiles.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Icing-Smiles-Sprinkles.jpeg" alt="Icing Smiles Sprinkles" width="225" height="300" /></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sugar Angel Michelle Curran of </span><a href="https://www.mitchiesmunchies.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mitchies Munchies</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in Las Vegas is no stranger to pizzazz. Nicknamed “Femme Fatale of Fondant,” by <em>NV Pageant Magazine</em>, Michelle has been designing food-grade silicone molds, twisted edible art, and custom cake toppers for over 30 years. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since she joined Icing Smiles as a Sugar Angel in 2010, she’s completed over 30 calls to action and has sponsored the state of Nevada since 2014. In February 2022, she hosted a </span><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/violets-bake-sale/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Violet’s Bake Sale</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> for Icing Smiles and made </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=7098065646933477&amp;set=gm.1338445656657868" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">custom Icing Smiles sprinkles</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, helping to raise nearly $2,000 for our nonprofit. Although the sprinkles were a one-time limited-edition mix, Michelle is considering offering them again at her next Violet’s Bake Sale in 2023. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“When I was a child, we did not have much,” Michelle says. “Our family relied on state assistance, care packages from our church, and we wore hand-me-downs. I have a huge heart and believe in giving back to communities that helped me. Icing Smiles has captivated my heart. I love being able to help families have peaceful and happy moments in time through sugar art.”</span></p>
<h2>Edible Printing System</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You don’t need to be a professional baker to create your own edible images for topping cakes. Icing Smiles sponsor Icing Images has designed </span><a href="https://www.icingimages.com/edible-ink-printers" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">four edible printer systems</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> for cake decorators and home hobbyists to print edible pictures on cookies, cakes, and more.  </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some of our generous Sugar Angels who own an edible printing system have also offered to donate edible images for any call to action. Check out the </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/SugarAngels/permalink/1264615464040888/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Icing Smiles Sugar Angel Facebook page</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and search for Sugar Angels Kim Crowder, Edee Muehlbrad, Lisa Peters, and Elizabeth Veronica.</span></p>
<h2>Photo Backdrops</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Once you have a decorated cake, you probably want to take a photo of your handiwork. Mitchies Munchies Michelle Curran strikes again with an </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=631630367944535" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">inexpensive do-it-yourself photo backdrop. </span></a></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I saw this idea floating about TikTok using poster board and contact paper,” she says. “Then my thinker said, ‘Hey, Mitchie, what if you used subway tiles instead of contact paper? And voilà! My DIY backdrop is very easy to mimic, looks legit like a kitchen or window space, and it is reversible and folds up neatly to get tucked away in my little studio.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">All you need to make a collapsible, storable backdrop:</span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">2 foam poster boards</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Clear packing tape</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Self-adhesive shelf liner</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">6 self-adhesive wall tiles</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">2 clothespins</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Scissors</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Michelle got all the supplies from the dollar store for $13.50</span></p>
<h2>Join Our Mailing List</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you want more tips, resources, and updates from Icing Smiles, sign up to receive periodic updates from the team. You can choose to receive the newsletters we send out every other month or to be notified when a new blog posts. We think you’ll enjoy reading about the smiles we help to create. These stories inspire us. They motivate us. And they are the reasons we are here.</span></p>
<p><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/stay-in-touch/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-12976 size-full" src="https://www.icingsmiles.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Stay-in-Touch.png" alt="Join Our Mailing List CTA" width="1200" height="400" /></a></p>
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		<title>Tips for Transporting, Cutting, and Safely Serving a Cake</title>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Icing Smiles]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 02 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Medical Families]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sugar Angels]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[birthday cake]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cake]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cakes]]></category>
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					<description><![CDATA[Whether you’re a family picking up a cake or the Sugar Angel who is delivering it, here’s how to transport, cut, and safely serve your Icing Smiles cake.   You have a beautifully decorated cake — and now you have to transport, cut, and serve it. Whether you’re a family picking up a cake or [&#8230;]]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Whether you’re a family picking up a cake or the Sugar Angel who is delivering it, here’s how to transport, cut, and safely serve your Icing Smiles cake.</span></h4>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong> </strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>You have a beautifully decorated cake — and now you have to transport,</strong> cut, and serve it. Whether you’re a family picking up a cake or the Sugar Angel who is delivering it, there are a few things you can do to have a triumphant celebration.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This spring, Sugar Angel Krystal Posey made a </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=4966724083409032&amp;set=pcb.1348265309009236" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">tie-dye TikTok cake</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> — the “biggest and heaviest cake” she’s made to date. The family was coming to pick up the cake later that day, and despite the supports she included in the bottom layer, she was nervous about whether the cake would make it to its final destination in one piece. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Krystal hopped on the </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/SugarAngels" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Icing Smiles’ Sugar Angels Facebook page</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and posed her question to the group of experienced bakers — and they responded in full force. </span></p>
<h2>7 Tips for Transporting a Cake</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here are some of the top tips from veteran Sugar Angels for what you can do to make sure your cake is as perfect at the end of your trip as it was at the beginning.</span></p>
<h3>1. Wrap the Cake Board</h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sugar Angel Megan Wood Borg noticed that cardboard cake boards tend to get soggy, so she wraps the cake boards before building her cakes. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For tiered or heavier cakes, Sugar Angel Maria Morlock double or triple stacks her boards and duct tapes them together for added support. Sugar Angel Kathleen Cherie recommends alternating the corrugated lines of the boards for even more strength. </span></p>
<p><a href="https://blog.wilton.com/how-to-transport-a-cake/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wilton recommends</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> using a cake board that measures at least 2 inches bigger than your cake. For example, if you’re transporting an 8-inch cake, use a 10-inch cake board.</span></p>
<h3>2. Skewer the Cake</h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sugar Angel Brittany Howe recommends putting a skewer through the middle of the cake, from top to bottom into the bottom board, after the cake is constructed. Cut the skewer so it’s a little shorter than the height of the cake so that it will sit under the frosting, and sharpen the end so that it’s able to easily go through the cake and cake board. Then slowly tap the top of it with a hammer, and conceal the hole you make on the top tier. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kathleen suggests using two dowels for added stability and to keep the cake from spinning on just one. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sugar Angel Anisor Fernandez follows this rule of thumb: one support per inch the cake is supporting on top. For example, a 6-inch top would use six supporting dowel skewers in the cake below. </span></p>
<h3>3. Build the Box Around the Cake</h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Use a cake box that is the same size as the cake boards and at least 2 inches taller than your cake. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Rather than dropping your cake into the cake box, </span><a href="https://blog.wilton.com/how-to-transport-a-cake/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wilton recommends</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> building the box around the cake. Simply place the cake on the flat bottom of the box, then build up the sides and tape it closed.</span></p>
<h3>4. Chill the Cake</h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sugar Angel Bridget Kennedy Badams always chills her cakes in the fridge or freezer for 20 to 30 minutes before transporting them. This makes the surface of the cake less likely to smudge when packing and transporting. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To ensure the cake doesn’t sweat, Bridget tightly wraps the cake box with three or four layers of plastic wrap before she freezes it. This way, the box will sweat, not the cake. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Don’t worry, Sugar Angel Lisa Velesbir says, it will thaw in time. </span></p>
<h3>5. Place the Cake on a Flat Surface</h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You might think the cake is safest on the seat next to you. But the slanted surface could cause your cake to slide off the board and into the side of the box, warns Sugar Angel Amy Hampton Kurtz.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Instead, place your cake on a flat, level surface, such as in the trunk of the car. Sugar Angel Toby Zaltsman uses a non-slip mat — even a yoga mat works — under the cake box for added stability, and Sugar Angel Kristen Lang sets her cakes on top of silicone trivets.</span></p>
<h3>6. Turn the Air in the Car On</h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kristen reminds her families to keep the temperature inside the car in mind. No heat, she says. Put the air on to prevent melting. </span></p>
<h3>7. Drive Carefully</h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Avoid sudden starts, stops, or fast turns and steep ramps. And watch out for those speed bumps, Kristen says!</span></p>
<h2>How to Cut the Cake</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Once the cake has arrived at its destination, avoid smudging the cake by cutting open the side of the box and sliding the cake out rather than lifting it.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Cakes are generally designed and sized according to industry-accepted portions, which are slices that measure about 1-by-2 inches. At Icing Smiles, we guarantee a cake with a maximum of 40 servings.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To portion a cake, refer to these Wilton blogs on “</span><a href="https://blog.wilton.com/how-to-cut-a-square-cake/?utm_source=wordpress&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=gen-engage-cakebakingservingguide" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">How to Cut a Square Cake</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">” and “</span><a href="https://blog.wilton.com/how-to-cut-a-round-cake/?utm_source=wordpress&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=gen-engage-cakebakingservingguide" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">How to Cut a Round Cake</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.” This </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqgHK70BBAs" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">video by Love Island Cakes</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> on how to portion a celebration cake is another helpful resource, as is this </span><a href="https://www.thecakeconspiracy.com/cake-cutting-guide" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Cake Cutting Guide from The Cake Conspiracy</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-13129" src="https://www.icingsmiles.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cake-queen-cutting-guide2_bmp.webp" alt="Cake Cutting Guide" width="2100" height="1228" /></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Regardless of the shape and size of your cake, here are a few additional tips and tricks to make slicing and serving a piece of cake:</span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Rinse your knife in hot water or warm water after each cut of a really dense cake to prevent sticking or tearing.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Use a serrated knife to cut fluffy cakes, such as angel food or chiffon.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wipe your knife after each cut of a frosted cake for nice, clean cake slices.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Place your cake on a grip mat or textured cutting board before slicing to avoid slipping.</span></li>
</ul>
<h2></h2>
<h2>How to Safely Serve a Cake</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As we continue to navigate the pandemic, some families may worry about the transmission of COVID-19 associated with food. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is </span><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/newsletter/food-safety-and-Coronavirus.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">no evidence</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> of food or food packaging being associated with transmission of COVID-19.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Of course, before preparing or eating food, it is important to always wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds for general food safety. It’s also recommended that you not share food or eating utensils with someone outside of your household.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When it comes to blowing out candles, some families and Sugar Angels are getting creative. Sugar Angel Kristin Miller </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10158990968958950&amp;set=pcb.1126854767816959" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">made a separate candle cake</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to go with the party cake so the recipient could blow out his candles safely. Sugar Angel Jean Plotkin </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10100591218989479&amp;set=p.10100591218989479&amp;type=3" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">designed a cake so the top part came off</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and that’s what her daughter used for blowing out candles.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You can also extinguish the candles by waving them out with your hand; using a </span><a href="https://www.adweek.com/creativity/general-mills-solves-birthday-cake-conundrum-with-covid-19-safe-candle/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">No Blow Candle</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.theblowzee.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Blowzee</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, or a </span><a href="https://www.nrn.com/family-dining/main-event-offers-covid-option-blowing-out-birthday-candles" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wishing Wand flame snuffer;</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> or trying this </span><a href="https://coolmompicks.com/blog/2021/03/23/safer-ways-to-blow-out-birthday-candles-covid19/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">paper plate swap method</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>
<h2>Join Our Mailing List</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you want more tips, resources, and updates from Icing Smiles, sign up to receive periodic updates from the team. You can choose to receive the newsletters we send out every other month or to be notified when a new </span><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/blog/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">blog</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> posts. We think you’ll enjoy reading about the smiles we help to create. These stories inspire us. They motivate us. And they are the reasons we are here.</span></p>
<p><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/stay-in-touch/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-12976 size-full" src="https://www.icingsmiles.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Stay-in-Touch.png" alt="" width="1200" height="400" /></a></p>
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		<title>Does My Child Qualify for a Cake?</title>
		<link>https://www.icingsmiles.org/does-my-child-qualify-for-a-cake/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=does-my-child-qualify-for-a-cake</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Icing Smiles]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 05 Aug 2022 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Medical Families]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cakes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[make a wish]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medical child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medical eligibility]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://pl-icing-smiles.local/does-my-child-qualify-for-a-cake/</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Learn more about who we serve, cake types and sizes, and how to become eligible. When Alan and his family were making plans for his seventh birthday — his first not in treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia — he asked for a Minecraft cake. Icing Smiles Sugar Angel April Perez brought his dream to life. [&#8230;]]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Learn more about who we serve, cake types and sizes, and how to become eligible.</span></h3>
<hr />
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>When Alan and his family were making plans for his seventh birthday</strong> — his first not in treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia — he asked for a Minecraft cake. Icing Smiles Sugar Angel April Perez </span><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/alan-turns-seven/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">brought his dream to life</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">How does Icing Smiles, which delivers roughly 3,000 cakes a year, determine who gets to receive a Dream Cake or a Fun Cake? Check out these graphics to learn about who we serve, cake types and sizes, and how to become eligible.</span></p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">The 3-2-1 of Cake Eligibility</h2>
<h2><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-13071 size-large" src="https://www.icingsmiles.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Three-Ts-of-Cake-Eligibility.png" alt="Three Ts of Cake Eligibility" width="576" height="1024" /></h2>
<h2><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-13049 size-large aligncenter" src="https://www.icingsmiles.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2.png" alt="2 Types of Cakes" width="576" height="1024" /></h2>
<h2><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-13050 size-large aligncenter" src="https://www.icingsmiles.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/3.png" alt="1 Application = 1 Cake Each Year" width="576" height="1024" /></h2>
<h2><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-13051 size-large aligncenter" src="https://www.icingsmiles.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/4.png" alt="0 Cost " width="576" height="1024" /></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you’re interested in receiving a cake for your family through Icing Smiles, there are a few other important things to keep in mind. </span></p>
<h2>Filling Out the Application</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To protect both Icing Smiles and the family, we ask that a parent, legal guardian, or someone authorized by the parent or legal guardian </span><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/families/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">complete the application</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The application deadline is one month prior to the celebration date in order for all paperwork to be completed and approved. </span></p>
<h2>Types of Celebrations</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You can request a cake for any type of celebration. It does not have to be for the child’s birthday. We do many ring-the-bell ceremonies, heartaversaries, or just-because celebrations.</span></p>
<h2>Still Have Questions?</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We want to ensure you get the answers to whatever questions you have about Icing Smiles and about who we serve, cake types and sizes, and how to become eligible.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Review our </span><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/faqs-families/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">full set of answers to frequently asked questions</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to familiarize yourself with how to receive a cake and ensure your family is eligible.</span></p>
<h2>Apply for a Cake</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We believe that something as simple as a cake </span><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/why-a-simple-cake-is-such-a-big-deal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">can have a huge impact</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, not only on the kids and their families but also on their neighbors, doctors, nurses, and beyond. Each cake we serve is more than just a cake — these baked treats are a chance to smile, celebrate, feel normal, and temporarily escape from worry.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If your medically qualified child or their sibling would like a chance to make a magical memory, request a cake today.</span></p>
<p><a href="https://www.icingsmiles.org/receive-smile/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-12975 size-full" src="https://www.icingsmiles.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Receive-a-Smile.png" alt="Receive a Smile CTA" width="1200" height="400" /></a></p>
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