Kids get creative with cookies

Danette Goulet

COSTA MESA -- Baking teams from Big Brothers Big Sisters will attempt to

dazzle the Pillsbury Doughboy on Saturday with their own cookie designs.

The cookies are a way for the outreach organization to celebrate a

$10,000 donation from Albertson’s and Pillsbury.

“The kids are very excited,” said Kathy Woolfington, a case manager at

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County. “They think it’s neat because

they get to design a cookie.”

Big Brothers Big Sisters is a nationwide nonprofit organization that

matches at-risk children with caring adult mentors in an effort to

provide positive role models for the youngsters.

In preparation for the big day, the seven baking duos joined forces

Thursday night to begin experimenting with cookie designs. Each team is

made up of a child and a mentor.

They gathered to bake and decorate cookies, Woolfington said, until they

narrowed it down to two designs.

They will present their designs to Pillsbury Company representatives from

10 a.m. to noon Saturday at Albertson’s, 2300C Harbor Blvd. in Costa

Mesa.

The children and their mentors will also mass-produce the two cookie

designs to hand out to Albertson’s customers.

“They’ll be talking to customers and hopefully encouraging them to become

involved,” said Judie Decker, a spokeswoman for Albertson’s.

The event will also feature face-painting and other fun activities,

including a visit from the Pillsbury Doughboy himself.

Albertson’s and the famous cookie-makers joined to make a donation based

on the sale of Pillsbury products at each grocery store.

The donation commemorates Pillsbury’s 50th anniversary Bake-Off. In 1949,

Pillsbury began a baking contest for creative cooks all over America,

with a grand prize of $1 million.

For more information about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County,

call (714) 544-7773.