FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE              

January 23, 2009                                     

Gilda’s Club receives record donation from

December 2008 Gingerbread…Gifts…Glitz event.

Organization awards cash prizes to winners of gingerbread house contest.

Buffalo, NY – Gilda’s Club Western New York (WNY) received a record-high donation of $8,031.00 from the 24 local artists who participated in the seventh annual Gingerbread…Gifts…Glitz…at Gilda’s Club event, says Mary Beth Karr, executive director of Gilda’s Club WNY. Each artist donated 20 percent of his or her gross sales from the three-day December 2008 event.

          “We were thrilled with the success of this year’s event, and at the generosity of the artists who participated,” says Karr. “This money will go a long way toward the important programming we offer for our members, and we are very grateful to Anne Bliss and all the artists.”

          “The artists were equally thrilled at the enthusiastic response to the items they had for sale,” says Anne Bliss of Bliss Designs, who organized the artists’ participation at the event. “They were all extremely happy to be able to help such a worthwhile Western New York organization.”

          As part of the Gingerbread event, Gilda’s Club WNY sponsored a gingerbread house contest. Forty-four entries were received in three baker categories: amateur, student (high school and college) and professional. The gingerbread houses were then auctioned off at the event, with the proceeds going to Gilda’s Club.

Cash prizes totaling $1,875.00 were awarded to the winners; a complete list of winners is attached.

“We had some incredible gingerbread houses submitted this year in every category,” says Terri Campbell, event chair. “They were a huge hit with the guests who attended our event, and we had no problem selling each and every one of the houses.”

Judges for the gingerbread house contest included:

Connie Walmsley, Certified Culinary Educator, retired professor from Niagara Country Community College Culinary Arts Department and past president of the American Culinary Federation of Greater Buffalo. Connie  is also a member of the American Academy of Chefs  and an Accredited Certification Examiner.

Dorothy Johnston, Certified Culinary Educator, Certified Executive Chef, co-owner of Cafe in the Square in Snyder and full-time culinary arts professor at Erie Community College City Campus.  Dorothy is also an Accredited Certification Examiner.

Christian Hipzer, Certified Executive Chef, an employee of Delaware North Companies and the Executive Chef of the Buffalo Bills.

About Gilda’s Club Western New York

          Gilda's Club Western New York is a non-profit support community for men, women and children who are living with cancer, as well as their families and friends.  Membership is offered free of charge to people at any stage of their experience with cancer.  Through participation in groups, lectures, workshops and social events, members build social and emotional support and learn to live with cancer. Gilda's Club Western New York serves the eight counties of WNY and is part of Gilda's Club Worldwide. For more information about Gilda’s Club Western New York, call 716.332.5900.

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