Once the fundraising came to an end, a panel of local celebrity judges tasted each cookie. The judges were Chef Dorian Hunter, winner of Master Chef, Johnny Mitchell, Mayor Matt Santini, Danae Gamble, and Advocates for Children’s very own Quacky the Duck! In order to maintain social distancing, each judge was seated at their own individual table while tasting the cookies.
“Safety was a high priority for us,” says Renee Shields, event organizer and Director of Development at Advocates for Children. “Coming from a hospitality background, I know the importance of food safety, but additionally we had to contend with COVID precautions as well. That’s why we set up a hand washing station, and had the server wear gloves and a mask.”
Judging began at 4:00 pm and was concluded by 4:30 pm. The winning team, Bridge House Café, was announced at 5:00 pm to the gathering crowd waiting to see the Cartersville Christmas Parade. The Bridge House team cookie was a delicious chocolate turtle cookie stuffed with pretzels and nuts, drizzled with chocolate, and topped with a Rollo.
The finishing touch was a sprinkling of French sea salt to accentuate the sweet and salty taste. Andrea Wallace, co-owner of Bridge House Café, said this about winning the competition: “Thank you so much! What a wonderful surprise and honor. Thank you to Advocates for all that you do.”