Unless you’ve been avidly avoiding your email inbox or are newly returned from Shana Bet, I’m sure Cake Wars has been somewhat on your radar. Cake Wars is an event brought to Yeshiva University by the Sharsheret Club to raise money for Sharsheret, a Jewish organization which supports breast cancer patients and survivors, and it is known to be the biggest and most successful co-ed event at YU.
“You would think that adds pressure,” said Rachel Mirsky, Sharsheret Club board president, “but it does the opposite—what keeps me going is knowing that everyone will be having fun and it is all for a great cause.”
February 4th marked the fifth annual Cake Wars, and it was unanimously discussed as the most successful yet.
“I thought it was a great turnout this year,” said Stern student Julia Owen after the event was winding down. “Everyone really got into it, and we all had so much fun while supporting something that is very meaningful.”
The fifth floor of Furst Hall, festooned with pink decorations from top to bottom, left no detail unaddressed. “From the big details like location and set up to all the little things like the theme and toppings, there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes,” explained Mirsky as she hurriedly propped up a massive inflatable cake by the photo booth before the event began.
Students began streaming in a little before 8 PM, all commenting on the distinct fragrance of cake permeating the halls, while board members of the student organization scrambled to collect money from the contestants. There were about 50 teams in total this year—10 more than last year. At least 400 or more members of both Yeshiva College and Stern College attended this event as contestants, as well as over 100 people who just came as spectators.
A large portion of the money raised came from student contributions, but costs were also collected from the club’s generous corporate sponsors. Frozen yogurt enterprise Sixteen Handles contributed things like sprinkles, spoons, and more, and sent an employee to be one of the judges.
While music blared, students excitedly sculpted masterpieces out of sponge cake and smeared colorful frosting onto their faces, creating cakes that depicted the strength of overcoming breast cancer.
“The Sharsheret Cake Wars is a great way to raise breast and ovarian cancer awareness on campus and have a blast at the same time,” said Dalia Shoretz Nagel, president of the Board of Directors of Sharsheret. “It is wonderful to see all of this support from students at Yeshiva University and across the United States.”
The winner this year was Team “Shake and Bake,” who won a gift certificate to Gotham Burger as their prize. Though only one team was the Cake Wars champion, every student still left smiling—the win was for Sharsheret, and every person who came that night was a part of it.