BOCA RATON – A couple of dozen kids got a chance to decorate cookies at a Boca Raton restaurant Sunday afternoon. They also collected toys for St. Mary’s Medical Center.
The children did their award-winning work at Saquella Cafe, in Royal Palm Place. Three winners were chosen, and received prizes for $75 for first place, $50 for second place and $25 for third place.
Avi Sekerel, chef/owner of Prosecco Cafe in Palm Beach Gardens, where a similar cookie decorating contest was held Saturday, and Saquella Café, said “This is a wonderful way to celebrate the holidays. The children can have fun decorating and eating the cookies — which we will bake at our restaurants — but they will also be donating toys to the children that are at St. Mary’s. We are proud to be able to get the community involved in a wonderful family-centered event that captures the true spirit of the season.”
Participants decorated their cookies as gingerbread men, Christmas trees, dreidels, and menorahs using icing, sprinkles, colored sugar, and chocolate supplied by Saquella.
The toys were turned over to the Parent-Child Center’s Child Life Program at St. Mary’s “When children are ill and in the hospital, they are unable to celebrate the holidays with their loved ones. The gifts that the children receive from caring individuals, really make a difference during their hospital stay,” said David Tkac, the director.
The Parent-Child Center, Inc. has two special programs, the Child Life and Pediatric Oncology Support Team (POST) programs, which are dedicated to providing medical psychosocial support services to children who have acute or chronic health conditions and their families. Both programs provide services to children who are in the Children’s Hospital at St. Mary’s Medical Center.
Winners were: Sonya Smith-Tembe, first; Ben Sekerel, second and Romy Hurwitz, third. Romy gave $5 from her award to the fund for toys at St. Mary’s Medical Center.
Judges were: Dale King, managing editor of the Boca Raton Tribune; his wife, Julia Hebert and Leslie Gray Streeter from the Palm Beach Post.