A Sweet Treat To Fight Cancer

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- This week, ThinkCure! is partnering with Sprinkles Cupcakes, the original cupcake bakery, to recognize National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and support children whose days aren't always so sweet. Sprinkles will donate the proceeds from sales of its specially designed ThinkCure! vanilla cupcakes at its Beverly Hills location.

To launch the weeklong benefit today, All Star Dodgers third baseman Ron Cey brought smiles to cancer patients at Children's Hospital Los Angeles with a special delivery of Sprinkles cupcakes. Armed with dozens of Sprinkles cupcakes emblazoned with the ThinkCure! logo, Cey talked baseball and took pictures with the children. Later, ThinkCure! distributed cupcakes to children at its other partner hospital, City of Hope.

"It was a privilege to interact with the kids and brighten their day for a bit," said Cey. "They're fighting the hardest battle imaginable, and it's great to see companies like Sprinkles team up with nonprofits to support the search for a cure."

ThinkCure! is a community-based nonprofit that raises funds to support collaborative cancer research at City of Hope and Children's Hospital Los Angeles. As a local organization, ThinkCure! also seeks opportunities to lighten the burden of families in the Los Angeles community when a loved one is diagnosed with cancer. 

"ThinkCure!'s support for our cancer research program provides critical 'seed money' and builds collaborative initiatives with our partner at City of Hope to advance our search for cures for the children, teens and young adults we serve," said Dr. Stuart Siegel, director of the Center for International Health at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. "We are thrilled to have Sprinkles join our L. A. team in finding answers for these kids and their parents."

"As a clinician who sees the impact of cancer on families, I believe that simple acts of kindness can make a difference in the lives of children with cancer and their families," added Dr. Stephen Forman, Francis and Kathleen McNamara Distinguished Chair in Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation at City of Hope. "I'd like to thank Sprinkles for partnering with us to raise money while also raising the spirits of everyone in our hospitals today."

Sprinkles Cupcakes is well-known for its community involvement, and believes that cupcakes have the power to sweeten the day for individuals and the community at large; in fact, in a past fundraiser, Sprinkles ThinkCure! cupcakes raised $5,000.

"Children's charities and cancer research have always been two primary focuses of Sprinkles' charitable mission," said Candace Nelson, Sprinkles Cupcakes founder and pastry chef. "We are honored to be raising funds for ThinkCure!, which works so closely with Los Angeles-area hospitals that help children and adults with cancer. "

For fans and supporters who would like to try a ThinkCure! cupcake for themselves, they will be available for purchase for the rest of the week at the Beverly Hills bakery, located at 9635 South Santa Monica Boulevard.

About ThinkCure!
ThinkCure! is an innovative, community-based non-profit organization that raises funds to accelerate collaborative research to cure cancer. The organization funds research projects at City of Hope and Children's Hospital Los Angeles by convening an objective, peer-based panel of expert doctors; awarding two-year grant applications once every year; and giving to the most promising collaborative and cutting edge cancer research projects that can involve other top cancer research hospitals. For more information, please visit www.thinkcure.org.

About Sprinkles Cupcakes
Sprinkles Cupcakes opened "the world's first cupcake bakery" in Beverly Hills, as reported by the Food Network, and is credited by the Los Angeles Times as "the progenitor of the haute cupcake craze." Founded by Candace Nelson, judge on Food Network's hit show "Cupcake Wars," and husband Charles, Sprinkles has inspired long lines of devoted Hollywood stars and serious epicureans alike. From Tom Cruise to Oprah Winfrey, Blake Lively to Ryan Seacrest, celebrities are abuzz about Sprinkles! Baked fresh in small batches throughout the day, Sprinkles Cupcakes are handcrafted from the finest ingredients and contain no preservatives, trans fats or artificial flavors.  Sprinkles has 11 locations nationwide, a traveling Sprinklesmobile (the world's first cupcake truck), and sells its cupcake mixes at over 250 Williams-Sonoma stores throughout the US and Canada. In 2012, Sprinkles debuted the world's first Cupcake ATM and continued its foray into classic American desserts with the launch of Sprinkles Ice Cream. For additional information and a list of future locations, please visit www.sprinkles.com.

SOURCE ThinkCure!