For over twenty years, Gretchen Holt Witt has made her professional home in public relations working with a broad range of companies advising them on how to effectively communicate their message. But in 2007, Gretchen’s life took on a new challenge when her 2½-year-old son Liam was diagnosed with pediatric cancer, the number one disease killer of children in the United States.

Liam’s indomitable spirit inspired her to raise money for a promising new treatment in need of funding. Committed to doing all she could to help make the treatment become a reality, Gretchen hatched a plan to bake and sell 96,000 cookies with a larger-than-life holiday bake-a-thon. Against all odds of what should be possible, every cookie sold in a matter of days, and more than $420,000 was raised. It was clear that inviting people to be Good Cookies was a sweet way to get people involved in the bitter topic of pediatric cancer. In September 2008, Cookies for Kids’ Cancer launched as a year-round, national organization.

As the organization grows, Gretchen’s story of love and determination to impact change inspires people across the country. She has been interviewed on The Today Show and profiled in The Wall Street Journal as well as CNN, Good Morning America, Oprah Magazine and The Huffington Post; recognized as one of Woman’s Day magazine’s 50 “Women Who Are Changing the World”, and named the National Honoree in L’Oreal’s Women of Worth awards as well as several other national awards. In 2011, Gretchen added author to her list of accomplishments with the release of the Cookies for Kids’ Cancer Best Bake Sale Cookbook which became a bestseller on Amazon and All the Good Cookies Cookbook.

She is described as inspirational, offering a message of “strength and determination that is perfect for so many people.”