Cookie Tree

How has this idea enhanced your club's operation, etc.?

We emailed all of our members, inviting their children (ages three to 17) to visit Miramont to help our Pastry Chef Chera Marco decorate Christmas cookies on one of three different afternoons. The first day nine children and their parents decorated cookies; the second day 16 visited; and on the third day of Christmas cookie-decorating a total of 20 children arrived at the club.

How was this idea implemented, and what have been the club members' reactions?

We supplied a hot chocolate bar, snacks and played a Christmas movie as the children (and their parents in many cases) decorated cookies. Once the cookies were decorated, we dried them in the oven at 200 degrees for 72 hours before the construction of the tree began. We then purchased a Styrofoam cone from Hobby Lobby, painted it green and secured it with screws to a round piece of plywood. We also constructed a heavy-duty base and built a hexagon out of plywood to provide support for each “branch” level of cookies. We used a hot glue gun and popsicle sticks to support and display the cookies. The end result was a Christmas centerpiece in our lobby that many of our families contributed to and visited throughout the holiday season.