Over 60,000 cookies will be sent to hurricane victims in Houston and South Florida, thanks to the hard work of Chicago’s French Pastry School and the generosity of supporting businesses.

While thousands are left homeless and stranded following the devastation of Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma, businesses have been rallying to provide relief for them. That includes the French Pastry School, which helped make and deliver over 60,000 Vanilla Butter Cookies to people in those areas.

“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.

Corporate partners contributed materials for The French Pastry School to make the cookies. 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 accommodations, Uline donated the packaging, and other Chicago businesses donated items and services. 

Additionally, the school set up a link on its 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 in Puerto Rico.