April 2014 Newsletter

Dear Friends of Icing Smiles,

We would like to thank the National Capital Area Cake Show for selecting us as their official charity for the 3rd year in a row. We had an amazing experience judging the live competition with the help of one of our beautiful cake recipients, Emma.​ All four teams were made up of Icing Smiles Sugar Angels, and they truly brought their A Game knowing that the cakes would be displayed for sick children throughout the Washington, DC metro area. We would like to thank all of the competitors: Zane Beg and Michelle Sohan, Michelle Boyd and Kim Simmons, Dana Herbert and Jay Qualls, and Sarah Myers and Karen Vazquez. Congratulations to Zane and Michelle and Sarah and Karen for your first place tie.

With smiles,

Tracy

Tracy Quisenberry
Founder and Executive Director

On March 31, 2014, we finished the first quarter with the delivery of cake number 609 for 2014. This is more than we served in our first 24 months combined!

New Timeline for Cake Requests

As Icing Smiles continues to grow by leaps and bounds, it becomes more and more astounding that we are a volunteer-run organization! In order for us to continue to give our families the highest level of attention and service from both our administrative team and sugar angels, we now require a minimum of four weeks notice for scheduling a cake. This is one week earlier than our previous requirement.

If a child is eligible because of being hospitalized on his or her birthday, a one week notice is required. Exceptions to this will be granted if a child is receiving palliative care.

As always, thanks to all of our amazing families and volunteers who come together every day to bring joy and smiles to our kiddos!

Meet Sugar Angels Stacy and Bjorn Solheim in Ohio

Stacy's love of baking and decorating began through her grandpa when she was young. Once he taught her to pipe a buttercream clown, she was hooked. Stacy feels fortunate that her husband loves creating as much as she does. "In our opinion, there is nothing better than creating something out of nothing. We absolutely love taking raw ingredients and turning them into a smile," Stacy shared. She and her husband don't operate a business, but have been creating custom cakes for years as a way to make a difference in the lives of their family and friends.

Stacy first learned of Icing Smiles through one of our corporate sponsors, Fondarific, and was excited at the prospect of being able to use cake to bring joy to children and their families. One of her favorite parts about her involvement with Icing Smiles is the focus on the entire family. She feels "it's easy to focus on the medically ill child, forgetting that the stress affects the entire family and that the siblings can easily feel overshadowed and forgotten."

Stacy and Bjorn have had three joyful opportunities to provide cakes through Icing Smiles. Stacy fondly recalls the wide-eyed "Oh Yea!" she received after asking a young man if he liked his cake, the sweet girl who carefully saved the sugar characters that were hand-sculpted for her, and the little boy who tried with all of his strength to pull himself up for a closer look at his cake. Each experience has been one that the Solheims will never forget. Stacy says she can't express how impressed she has been with the families: "I am amazed by their bravery, courage, and dedication to keeping their lives as normal as possible, maintaining strong family bonds, and helping all of the children feel equally important" while juggling all that comes with caring for an ill child.

Thank you, Stacy and Bjorn, for the effort you put into each and every creation and for taking the time to get to know the families you have served. What you have provided to these families is so much more than a cake!​

To read more about the families we serve, please visit our blog!

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