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Cookie Cafe Goes Global!
- by Michael Roth (Casey 2013) 7/24/10

Everyone knows that without countless volunteers, KP’s Cookie Café would not be able to deliver that little bit of home that the Midshipman look forward to each week.  Every week dozens of cookies travel across the country to their ultimate destination; the stomachs of our Midshipman.  Come to think of it, there is probably some project in there for a KP Intermodal Major!  Volunteers come in all categories.  There are those that make the trip to KP each week, those that bake and mail cookies and those that make donations to the Cookie Café program.

However, there are a small number of KP Parents who live outside the continental US, who cannot participate in cookie baking because the mail takes too long to deliver cookies fresh.  So when Casey Roth and Josh Sindorf (KP 2013 B Splitters) found out that their assigned ship would stop at the port of Naha in Okinawa Japan, where Casey’s parents are stationed with the US Navy, Casey’s mom, Lorene, seized the opportunity to finally bake cookies for the KP Midshipmen; even if it was only two of them.

The weeks leading up to the ship’s arrival were a flurry of activity.  Recipes were researched and test batches were baked.  To ensure that only the best recipes were selected, all cookies and treats were dutifully quality controlled by Lorene’s husband, Michael, and dog, Faline.  Once Lorene found out the port arrival date, then the baking began in earnest, which included enlisting a friend who baked some coffee cakes.  A rare e-mail from the ship requested that a favorite treat be provided.

    On the day the ship docked, the final tally was three cakes, two dozen muffins, 10 dozen cookies and a quick trip to the base commissary to purchase bread machine supplies.  After a quick 8 hours in port, our two globe-trotting KP Midshipmen returned to their ship loaded with boxes and bags. 

And the result of our first global Cookie Café?  Another rare e-mail from the ship indicated that the pre-Cookie Café KP alums onboard are certainly jealous of what they missed out on.  Next followed by the quote “Mom, the blueberry coffee cake was a hit.  Everyone loved it.  Next time we would like two of them.  The other request is if we can get some sort of frosting on both the blueberry and coffee cake.  Everyone loves sweet stuff.  Nothing too fancy, just a light drizzle over the top or something.” 

All in all, we'd say it was a global success!

What fun it is to see the Midshipmen unwind as they take a break from studying for finals.  We kept the music lively and had lots of bags for the Midshipmen to take cookies back to their rooms for studying.
 
What is fun is to realize that Cookie Cafe is not just for the Midshipmen.  When graduates come back for training, or to visit, when students are between ships they come to Cookie Cafe to socialize and visit with their friends.
 
One Mid told us this week that there is almost nothing at Kings Point that is for socializing so Cookie Cafe is extremely important to all the students.
 
Ellen Rice has been doing a marvelous job at baking cookies at Land Hall.  Some may wonder why we bake there when we have enough cookies come in.  I tried not baking and students were upset as they couldn't smell cookies baking when they came in.  So, we bake, and the students are happy.
 
This week we had lots of help.  Of course we had Ellen and Larry Rice, their daughter and her friend, Betsy Carbonne, Martha McCann, Johanna Essex, and Kathy Parks.   All of them except Johanna, Gene and me have students attending KP.  This year things have become very easy.  We have all the glitches worked out: we have a freezer, and two cabinets at the Academy, and the parents are doing their big part of baking the cookies.  Although this was our third year of Cookie Cafe, and the number of students continues to increase, it was our easiest year.  Gene and I have had more time to just be there for students who need to talk, need counseling or encouragement.
 
I just want to say THANK YOU, PARENTS, FOR A JOB WELL DONE. Most of you never have the fun of coming and seeing first-hand what you are a vital part in making happen.  You have no idea what an important part of the Academy Cookie Cafe has become, and it's because of your sacrifices.  I don't know how to thank each one of you enough.
 
We just had our last Cookie Cafe.  I do not have one during finals as students are leaving, packing up, and parents groups bring in bootle bags for them.  We will start up on Sept 16th.  The reason for that timing is that many of you still have other kids home and not back to school yet, vacations are on, and the weather is hot for baking.  By Sept 16th everyone is ready to begin again with this adventure we are all in.
 
Cookie Cafe is on YouTube! Kings Point Spotlight - Cookie Cafe. I have had a number of schools investigating what we are doing.  They want to see if they can start it at their school.  KP Cookie Cafe has achieved the perfect balance as a three-legged stool, YOU, MUFFI GRINNELL, AND THE ON-SITE TEAM - we're working very efficiently, don't you think?
 
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING A TEAM WITH US!!!!       SEE YOU NEXT YEAR.   CAROL

Find more stories about Cookie Cafe on our "Visits to the Cafe" page.

Cookie Cafe is Featured in the New KP Calendar!