A bake sale, also known as a cake sale or cake stall, is a fundraising activity where baked goods such as doughnuts, cupcakes and cookies, sometimes along with other foods, are sold. Bake sales are usually held by small, non-profit organizations, such as clubs, school groups and charitable organizations.[1] Bake sales are often set up around an area of pedestrian traffic, such as outside a grocery store or at a busy intersection near a mall.
Bake sales are also a popular means of fundraising within corporations and political organizations.
History
editThe advent of bake sales dates back to the 1800s, during which time women used their domestic skills to fulfill expectations of charity.[2] Since then, bake sales have been frequently used as a form of raising money for political or social causes. In the early 1900s, suffragettes in Virginia used bake sales as a means to raise money to further the cause of women's suffrage.[3] During the civil rights movement in the United States, Georgia Gilmore began a covert baking club that, in order to fund resistance efforts, sold savory meals and baked goods out of members' homes as well as in local establishments and at protest meetings.[4]
In response to the murder of George Floyd in 2020, pastry chefs Willa Pelini, Paola Velez, and Rob Rubba organized a series of national bake sales that eventually became known as Bakers Against Racism.[5] Originally intended as a singular event, the initiative attracted the participation of professional and hobbyist bakers across the country, each of whom contributed baked goods for various sales to raise money for organizations that support Black lives.[6] Bakers Against Racism has since expanded efforts to help organizations working to end hate crimes against Asian Americans and people of Pacific Islander heritage.[7]
Conduct
editBake sales are most often held to raise money for specific causes or for a particular organization, and frequently take place at schools or churches.[8] Goods most commonly sold at bake sales include cookies, brownies, cupcakes, and muffins.[9]
References
edit- ^ Parrish, Marlene (October 5, 2015). "Getting the goods: How to have a successful bake sale". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- ^ "Woman-led philanthropy: From organizing bake sales to advocating for woman suffrage". americanhistory.si.edu. 2016-06-07. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
- ^ Kennedy, Alicia (2020-07-15). "When Is a Bake Sale a Protest?". ISSN 0027-8378. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
- ^ "Overlooked No More: Georgia Gilmore, Who Fed and Funded the Montgomery Bus Boycott". The New York Times. 2019-07-31. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
- ^ Thrillist. "Thrillist Is Honoring Paola Velez, Willa Pelini, and Rob Rubba as Some of Their Local Heroes of 2020". Thrillist. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
- ^ "DC Pastry Chefs Launch a National Bake Sale to Support Black Lives Matter - Washingtonian". 2020-06-05. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
- ^ Chambers, Veronica (2021-08-18). "Baking the World a Better Place". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
- ^ "Your Step-by-Step Guide to Planning a Successful Bake Sale". Martha Stewart. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
- ^ "Smart Tips and Winning Recipes for Successful Bake Sales". Allrecipes. Retrieved 2023-11-22.