A Fundraiser Supporting Cake4Kids
What do I want to do with my summer vacation? Read books and bake cakes!
But that’s what I do every summer (and winter, spring, and fall, to be honest). So, how am I making Summer 2026 different? With the support of my team, the Bediz Group, I’m having a read-a-thon to benefit my favorite charity, Cake4Kids.
For every book I read from July 1 to Labor Day, you and others pledge $1 or $5 or $10. The more I read, the more financial support Cake4Kids receives and the more home-baked celebration cakes they can provide underserved youth in our local area.
As a volunteer Cake4Kids baker, I’m super excited to help support and promote their mission. As a reader with an enormous “to be read” pile and a newsletter chronicling the books I read, I’m eager to dive in and share my reading experience with you!
The Cake4Kids Mission
Cake4Kids is a national nonprofit that provides custom birthday cakes to youth who might not otherwise have one. Founded in 2010, the organization has now delivered over 100,000 cakes to children in foster care, homeless shelters, group homes, and other challenging circumstances across the country.
The model is simple: volunteer home bakers create custom cakes based on each child's requested theme and flavor, then deliver them to social service agencies who work with at-risk youth ages 1-24. Every cake is personalized—because being remembered matters.
The Northern Virginia chapter, founded in 2019, has delivered over 10,000 cakes to underserved youth in our region, partnering with agencies throughout Fairfax County, Alexandria, and the broader DMV area. With over 10,000 volunteer bakers nationwide and 2,000 partner agencies, Cake4Kids has grown into one of the most effective community-driven organizations serving vulnerable young people.
All proceeds from this read-a-thon support Cake4Kids' mission to ensure every child feels celebrated on their birthday.
Books & Bakes: The Rules
The goal of the Read-a-Thon is to raise money for Cake4Kids by reading as many books as I can over two months. But it’s not just about volume. I want to provide some value to you by writing about the books I read at my newsletter, The Back Half.
Here are my Books & Bakes rules:
1. No “short” or “easy” books.
I will be avoiding short books that could be called novellas or are under 200 pages. I’m not going to run up the score by reading things I can easily finish in an afternoon.
2. No behemoth novels.
This is not my time to dive into Joyce’s Ulysses or take yet another run at War and Peace. A “read-a-thon” implies reading a lot of books, not just a lot of one book.
3. Non-Fiction is included.
I’ll sprinkle in some non-fiction, partly for spice and partly because they can be super interesting.
4. Let’s read together!
Every Friday, I’ll publish a Books and Bakes review of the books I’ve read at The Back Half. As a Books & Bakes supporter, you’ll receive a free six-month subscription to The Back Half. I’ll also include a book every week that I’m currently reading so you can read along.
5. You can cap out if my volume is too high.
Whether you’re pledging $1, $5, or $10 (or more) per book, you can set a cap on your total pledge. So, if I hit a four-book-a-week pace — unlikely, but we’ll see — you won’t find yourself stuck with a final tally that strikes fear in your heart. This should be fun, not stressful! That said, any amount you can pledge will be doing great work for Cake4Kids!
Pledge here!
Supporters will receive a final pledge report at the end of the Books & Bakes read-a-thon. All donations you make will be directly to Cake4Kids at https://www.cake4kids.org/donate.
Cake4Kids is a 501c3 charitable organization. For more information about how Cake4Kids uses and raises funds, visit them at https://www.cake4kids.org/donation-faqs.
Made Possible by Bediz Group
Doing a one-man charity read-a-thon has been a dream of mine for a while because books and writing are two constants in my life. So I was beyond excited when David Bediz and the Bediz Group gave me the support I need to make this fundraiser a reality.
Real estate can be a very go go go business — it has to be, if you want to effectively help your clients achieve their homeownership goals in a challenging market. But it’s just as important to take a breath and a step back and ask, “How can I make my community a better place?” That’s why I started baking for Cake4Kids.
Thanks to the Bediz Group and RLAH @properties, now I’m able to give back a bit more and promote the work of an incredible organization that brings smiles and joy to kids who need them most.
