Think ahead on cookie donations for our troops

Roger and Diane Ahrens want some of their customers to pretend it's closer to the holidays that it really is.

Instead of being on October's threshold, the owners of Piece-A-Cake Bakery want them to think the calendar shows November -- so they're able to start planning the usual holiday rush for Operation Sweet Tooth.

If they do, the East Dundee business owners will able to fill all the requests for cookies and send them to U.S. military men and women who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. It takes time to make and bake all the orders, they said. And with the holiday rush, it takes longer to get the homemade treats into soldiers hands.

"After we make them, it takes about two weeks for them to get over there," Roger said.

"Then, it may take longer for the packages to be given to the soldiers. If they are out in the field, sometimes they don't receive all their mail."

In those packages aren't just a dozen or so cookies. Each parcel contains 100 cookies, or 10 pounds, of Rice Krispie treats and chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin or sugar cookies. It's not only enough to feed the son, daughter, brother, father or mother they were sent to, but the small army of friends they are serving with.

"We make sure they get enough to share," Roger said. "It's always nice to get cookies from home, and it's nice to share them."

The couple realizes how nice it is. Both served as Marines. Knowing how important it is to get packages from homes lead them to start Operation Sweet Tooth three years ago.

Since then, they have shipped more than 1 million pounds of confections to the troops in the war zones. Many of those troops are Dundee Township area residents. Others are from Chicago-area communities.

Families requesting the cookies pay the $20 and $25 shipping costs. The Ahrenses pay for the labor and ingredients. Every once in awhile they receive donations from the families or people who share their benevolence.

"We do this because we want (the servicemen and -women) to know they are not forgotten," Diane said.

"They're hot. They're tired and they are serving our country. We'll do this as long as we have people in Iraq and Afghanistan."

Their kindness has not gone unnoticed. Many of the soldiers have written them letters and e-mails thanking them. Some write on a continual basis.

"There was a lady who worked in the postal office in Afghanistan who wrote us regularly and told us about the troops getting the packages," Diane said.

"We used to send her one once a month." But that woman no longer has the same military assignment.

Operation Sweet Tooth runs throughout the year. The largest demand is during the holidays, the Ahrenses say. That's when their ovens work overtime to meet the demand.

"We also get some last-minute requests to ship cookies for someone's birthday," Roger said.

"If they want them there in two weeks, that may not happen."

Details can be received by calling the North River Street bakery at (847) 836-6703, or visiting its Web site at piece-a-cake-bakery.com.