Top Pastry Chef 'Bakes A Stand' Against Childhood Cancer
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – One of South Florida's top pastry chefs is baking for a cause.
Hedy Goldsmith, head pastry chef at Michael's Genuine, is known for crafting mouthwatering desserts. On Thursday she prepared her sweets – in the suites – at Marlin's Park. It's a fundraising event that benefits Alex's Lemonade Stand, a non-profit that raises money to fight childhood cancer.
"We're going to focus on sweets, but at the end of the day, it's about Alex's Lemonade Stand. We're going to make as much money as we can and eat a lot of sweets," said Goldsmith.
Alex's Lemonade Stand is named after Alex Scott, who was diagnosed with cancer at the age of one.
"When she was four years old, she had been fighting for a few years, so she decided she wanted to help the doctors who help the kids like her. She created a lemonade stand in front of our house and gave the money to the hospital," explained Liz Scott, Alex's mom.
Sadly, Alex passed away in 2004 at the age of eight, but news of her lemonade stands had spread: what was once a makeshift kiosk has blossomed into a nationwide foundation working to find a cure for cancer.
"By the time she was eight, she wasn't doing well with her cancer, but she was determined to raise a million dollars. By word-of-mouth, it caught on and she made that goal. Now, we've raised over 60 million dollars," Liz explained.
For Hedy, whose desserts originate from recipes in her new book, Baking Out Loud, the event is super sweet.
"It's such a passionate cause, it's unbelievable!" exclaimed Hedy.
"As a mother, I couldn't ask for more, except to have a healthy six-year-old daughter of course. But to have this Foundation as something that has lived on...is a gift," said Liz.
For more information about Alex's Lemonade Stand, visit www.alexslemonade.org.
