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CHICAGO -- The French Pastry School of Kennedy-King College at City Colleges of Chicago rallied local businesses to come together to help make and 'personally deliver' over 60,000 Vanilla Butter Cookies to people left homeless and stranded at shelters across Houston and South Florida.

This is sweet relief for the thousands residing in shelters as a result of the aftermath of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.  The French Pastry School had the heart and the connections to provide a sweet treat for those stuck in a bitter situation.  "We watched the coverage of the destruction of both hurricanes and knew we had to come together to try and make a difference in the lives of people affected by them.  Our staff, students, alumni and corporate partners were amazing, each one responded 'what can we do?'," says Chef Sébastien Canonne, M.O.F., President of The French Pastry School.

Plugra Butter donated 1,600 pounds of butter, King Arthur Flour donated 1,500 pounds of flour, Nielsen-Massey Vanillas donated vanilla bean paste, Hilton Hotels provided luxurious accommodations, Uline donated the packaging and a dozen additional Chicago businesses united to donate items and services.  The French Pastry School set up a link on their college website for people to donate directly to Mercy Chefs, an organization that provides chef-made, restaurant-quality meals to those affected by hurricanes and other natural disasters, including Puerto Rico. 

"Our team worked day and night to make, bake and bag over 60,000 cookies.  We decided to go to both states right away, Irma had not touched land yet and we were already acquiring more goods to bake cookies for Florida survivors.  Next we will raise funds for the people of Puerto Rico through Mercy Chefs," says Chef Jacquy Pfeiffer, President of The French Pastry School. 

The Hurricane Relief Team started in Houston, where they volunteered at NRG Park, feeding thousands through Baker-Ripley and the Red Cross.  They immediately went on to South Florida, having volunteered at FEMA events through last week via Community Cooperative; handing out their signature butter cookies, fresh fruit and bottled water to thousands of survivors in those shelters.  This week, The French Pastry School is also baking for Latino FashionWeek in support of Hurricane Relief for Puerto Rico.

"As a committed partner to The French Pastry School, Plugra Butter is proud to be a part of the relief efforts in support of the victims of the hurricanes," says Sherrie Hay, Specialty Business Manager, Plugra Butter.

"The gratitude for our presence and our cookies was overwhelming, not only from the survivors, but from the volunteers.  Our team met volunteers from all over the US, they happily banded together as if they had known each other for years. It's not about the storms anymore, it's about helping people rebuild their lives and the compassion that still exists in our country, proving a small act can still make a big difference," says Cathi Volante, Director of Marketing for The French Pastry School.    

A video of their journey is available on facebook.com/FrenchPastrySchool and on their You Tube channel 

SOURCE The French Pastry School