At 10 years old, Raelyn Duncan is one of Owensboro’s youngest entrepreneurs, using her baking skills to raise money for St. Jude’s. But this isn’t your typical bake sale. Duncan creates custom dog treats and offers them to dog owners for donations.
Craftily named K9 Cookies for Cancer, Duncan’s mission raised $6,100 during WBKR’s St. Jude radiothon this year. Last year, she raised $4,300. Initially, she raised and sold basil from her grandmother’s front yard, generating $450 in donations, before shifting gears and focusing on the dog treats.
“My mom and I were talking about what I would do for my St. Jude fundraiser, and mom’s friend Kandee from Florida was visiting and suggested, since I love to bake, that I make homemade dog treats and sell them,” Duncan said.
Duncan solicited the help of her mother, Karen, to research some recipes and create a Facebook page. The two decided it fit their personalities perfectly and moved forward with a donation-only business model.
“I love St. Jude, dogs, and baking, so I thought this was a great fundraiser,” she said. “There is no set price. We deliver in Owensboro, and we will also ship.”
K9 Cookies for Cancer boasts two options for treats – peanut butter oat and peanut butter pumpkin. They distribute an assortment of cookies in groups of five.
Duncan has expanded even more, adding Christmas candy boxes, hot cocoa bags, and a small variety of baked bread – all for humans – during the holidays. She also added many events and stops to her efforts, including Hill View Farm Meats, a coronation event for Carsyn Cecil, the Junior Miss Rodeo Kentucky Pageant, and Friday After 5.
“Our goal is to attend more festivals and find places that will let us set up for free and raise more money,” she said. “My goal for next year is $7,000 – it would be so cool to find a sponsor and make this bigger and better.”
Duncan said the process has come with its fair share of trials, most notably her mother burning a batch or two. But the positive outweighs the negative, and her desire to help kids keeps her moving forward.
“I want to help kids with cancer,” she said. “That’s what keeps me going, is to raise more money to hopefully find a cure. I want to be a nurse or doctor, and my dream and goal is one day, no child will die in the dawn of life.”
Duncan is a 4th-grade student at Meadow Lands Elementary School, where she was recently presented with awards for kindness and selflessness. She is an active member of Yellow Creek Baptist Church, where she is involved in many mission activities.
“This will be my fundraiser every year, and we will do this all year until the next radiothon,” Duncan said. “Look for us at festivals, and craft shows this year. Cancer doesn’t quit, so we aren’t either.”
To learn more about Duncan’s efforts, or order some of the cookies, search K9 Cookies for Cancer on Facebook.
