This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Business & Tech

A Slice of Life: Bakers Square Raises Funds for Ovarian Cancer Research

The company-wide campaign started with a Skokie cancer patient.

Last October, Skokie resident Lynda Smith dropped into to get a slice of her favorite pie, French silk. When she saw the pie was pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, she decided to send the company a letter applauding them for supporting the cause of cancer awareness, but asking them to expand their focus.

"'I have ovarian cancer,'" she said. '"What are you going to do for us?' I can never remember a reply coming as passionately or as quickly."

Smith was directed to Justin Krause, Bakers Square’s marketing manager. Krause’s aunt is a five-year survivor of ovarian cancer and he began working with Smith and the other 10 members of the local survivor group Ovarian Cancer Hope Organization to make this September the restaurant company’s first Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

"From a personal standpoint it's important to me," Krause said. "Everyone (at Bakers Square) has really gotten behind this cause and it's become something personal to everyone."

Read more:

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

Throughout the month, all 46 locations have been accepting donations for the Foundation for Women’s Cancer, the only national organization to work with all gynecological cancers. On Sept. 20, Bakers Square locations in Wilmette, Gurnee, Libertyville, Naperville and Woodridge donated 10 percent of the night’s profits to ovarian cancer research.

"We have never really set aside a month like this," Krause said. "This was our first time doing it and hopefully the first of many years. We're really excited about it. We've gotten an incredible response from our guests."

This is the first time the Foundation has partnered with a restaurant, and the small organization’s staff all participated in one of the Sept. 20 events, with Sharon Krinsky, director of philanthropy attending the Wilmette event with friends. The national nonprofit did outreach and marketing for the fundraiser and bought pies for their whole building to raise additional money.

"We have been very fortunate in that Sharon and Justin have done everything they can do and more to make this entire month a success,” Smith said. "It isn't often that you find the recipient of the funds in the trenches. Sharon has been in the trenches since the very first day I met with her."

Ovarian cancer is often called the silent killer because there are few outward signs or symptoms, meaning diagnosis is often only made when the cancer has reached a late stage. The five year survival rate for the disease is around 35 percent. Smith said she knew little about ovarian cancer before she was diagnosed in April 2010 because it has not received as much attention as other forms of cancer.

"I found that people have said it's about time ovarian came out of the closet," Smith said.

Krause has heard similar stories.

"A lot of people who are affected by ovarian cancer have come up to managers and said 'I've never seen a company recognize this,'" he said. "I think this is really something important."

Along with raising money, the Bakers Square campaign is also striving to raise awareness. Restaurants are offering brochures on the disease, including a checklist for identifying the symptoms.

"Part of the Foundation is to really push the awareness to know your body,” Krinsky said. “We not only want to work with people who have been affected by gynecological cancers, but well women. We want people to catch these diseases before it’s too late."

Like us on Facebook

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Skokie