An annual fundraiser that encourages diners to indulge their sweet tooth in the name of supporting breast cancer research will return to Northern Virginia this Friday (Oct. 16).
Four eateries in Fairfax County are participating in this year’s Bakes for Breast Cancer campaign, which asks restaurants, cafes, bakeries, grocery stores and other businesses to donate proceeds from their dessert sales to fund research and treatment of the disease.
Participants can either donate 100% of the proceeds from select desserts or 50% of the proceeds for their full dessert menus to Bakes for Breast Cancer. The nonprofit was established in 1999 in honor of founder Carol Sneider’s mother, who died from breast cancer at 43.
Running from Oct. 16-22, the fundraiser’s participants in the D.C. region will include:
- Bagel Joy (13081 Fair Lakes Shopping Center): proceeds donated from pink ribbon sugar cookies
- Mookie’s BBQ (1141 Walker Road, Great Falls): large chocolate chip cookie sundae
- Hollin Hall Pastry Shop (7920 Fort Hunt Road, Alexandria): red velvet, chocolate and vanilla cupcakes with cream cheese, vanilla or chocolate buttercream frosting
- Sorrento Grill (2425 Centreville Road, Suite 16, Herndon): masghati shirazi, a traditional Persian sweet infused with saffron
Outside of Fairfax County, Big Tony’s Pizzeria and Bar and Roggenart Bakery in Arlington, Capitol Waffle Shop in Richmond and Midlothian, and Dave’s Dogs Food Truck in Woodbridge are participating.
Since its launch, Bakes for Breast Cancer has raised over $2.5 million to support oncologists engaged in clinical research. More than 5,000 businesses have participated in its fundraiser, which now takes place in 10 different states or regions across the U.S., according to a press release.
The nonprofit has recently focused on expanding along the East Coast, reaching D.C., Maryland and Virginia for the first time in October 2024. Last year’s Fairfax County participants included AKB at Archer Hotel in Tysons, Chantilly’s Bourbon Boulevard, local Guapo’s outposts, and Tatte in Reston.
“Since 1999, Bakes for Breast Cancer has been on a mission to do its part to help eradicate breast cancer for good, one sweet treat at a time,” Sneider said in the press release. “… Statistics on both women and men directly and indirectly affected by breast cancer are alarming, and we will continue do our best to help reduce those numbers.”
According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the second-most common cancer in women after skin cancers and the second leading cause of cancer death in women after lung cancer. More than 324,580 people are expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2026.
