Valentine’s Day, 2017. After school. You find yourself strolling around the Commons to find two large crowds gathering at the side doors of the cafeteria. One of these crowds contains people holding various deserts. Welcome to the entrance of Ward Melville’s Second Annual Cooking for a Cause.

Cooking for a Cause is a fundraiser created as a collaboration between Student Government and the non-profit organization, Support the Kid, dedicated to children throughout the country who are battling cancer. As of the end of 2016, they have received and donated over $274,000 to just under 96 families. In particular, this event was created for cancer patient Matt Degraw. It is also part of Support the Kid’s goal to reach $100,000 in donations this year.

In regards to the actual event itself, it was quite enjoyable. On one side of the cafeteria, there was a group of faculty who made their own chili for a competition, and on the other side, students made their own desserts for another competition. People who wished to bring in food solely for a $5 discount on admission had food scattered throughout the rest of the cafeteria. I will say that the food was great. Despite personal preferences in terms of desserts, they tasted amazing, with my favorite probably being the peach cobbler. The same goes for the chili; many people know how to cook at Melville. I wasn’t able to try everything, however, because I was only provided one water bottle and the food makes you very thirsty. Nevertheless, when it came time to judge the best chili and best dessert, Mrs. Wright’s chili won and Mary’s Cake Macarons won.

However, this was only one part of the event. Student Government decided it would host a raffle where the winner would receive one half of the winnings. They raised $190 and Mr. Miller won $85. In addition, Ethan, a performer at Ward Melville’s Got Talent, was forced to come up on stage and sing three songs courtesy of three sets of $50 donations. Finally, various students received gift baskets containing various items such as movie tickets and bath materials also from the raffle.

Essentially, Cooking for a Cause was well worth my money. Between great food, a great cause, and an unexpected performance, it was completely worth it. If you went this year, I hope you felt the same way. If not, come next year. Please?