Getting sweet on a cure

By Samantha Hurst (Contact) | Shelby County Reporter

Published Thursday, November 12, 2009

Robin Howell at La Reunion Coffee in Helena can’t bake her giant cream cheese frosted cinnamon rolls fast enough this week.

La Reunion and a long list of other restaurants have banded together with the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center for the Sweet on a Cure fundraiser.

Through Nov. 15, participating restaurants will provide 100 percent of their proceeds from select desserts cancer research.

For Howell the fundraiser touches deep.

It just so happens Howell’s own mother has benefited greatly from the UAB Cancer Center.

“My mother just got diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and gets her treatment there every week,” Howell said. “I thought, ‘I have to do it because they have been so good to her.’”

Howell said she thought it was a unique idea because everybody loves sweets. She also thought it definitely couldn’t hurt business.

Oscar Clemente, manager of Café Trentuno in Pelham, said his restaurant felt it was a win–win fundraiser as well.

“We thought it was something we could do for the community and thought it might help bring new customers our way as well,” he said.

Howell has seen a definite interest.

“I had one girl come by and buy four trays of cinnamon rolls,” Howell said. “It definitely doesn’t hurt to have the name associated with the cause.”

Shelby County restaurants are offering the following desserts:

122 Tree Lane (Helena)

Sweet Magnolia Chocolate

Bellini's Ristorante & Bar (North Shelby)

Chocolate Mousse

Cafe Lazio (Hoover)

Tiramasu

Cafe Trentuno (Helena)

Raspberry white chocolate, dulce de leche and a chocolate cheesecakes

Chuck's Fish (North Shelby)

White Chocolate Bread Pudding

Donut Joe's (Pelham)

Apple fritter

Edgar's Bakery (North Shelby, Pelham)

Awareness Ribbon Petit Fours, Cupcakes and Sugar Cookies

Elements Corner Cafe (Helena)

Banana Pudding

Frankie's Market Café (Helena)

Banana Pudding

Jim 'N Nick's Bar.B.Q. (Alabaster)

Lemon Pie

Joe's Italian (Alabaster)

Carrot Cupcake for the Cure

La Dolce Vita (Hoover)

Tiramisu

La Reunion Coffee and Tea Company

Giant cream cheese frosted cinnamon rolls

Miss Rosemarie's Special Teas (Hoover)

Lemon Squares

Petrucelli's (North Shelby)

Tiramisu

Ragtime Cafe (North Shelby)

Key Lime Pie

Superior Grill (Hoover)

Heath Bar Pie

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