Houston-area girl bakes 1,000 cookies for Texas flood relief fundraiser

HOUSTON — In the bustling kitchen of Cakes by Gina, where flawless frosting and fondant creations are the norm, something even sweeter is taking shape — and it’s not just dessert.

“I told her the kitchen is yours if you need it,” owner Gina Gutierrez said. “I didn’t realize how many orders she was going to have.”

A corner of the commercial bakery now belongs to 11-year-old Kamryn Balfour, a young camper with a big heart and an even bigger purpose. Inspired by the devastating July 4th floods that ravaged parts of the Texas Hill Country. Kamryn was staying at Kickapoo Kamp. It’s about 20 miles from Camp Mystic, where 27 campers and counselors were killed.

“I was really, really sad and thought that could have been me,” Kamryn told KHOU 11.

Kamryn returned home with a mission.

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For the last week, she’s been measuring and mixing and baking away. What started as a small bake sale has quickly turned into a full-blown movement of Kamryn’s Kreations. With support from Cakes by Gina and help from her mom, Kamryn has baked and sold more than 1,000 cookies in just over a week. At $5 a bag, her original goal was to raise $500. She’s now passed $3,000 — and the orders keep rolling in.

“Near and far in the area, we’re clamoring and ordering five and 10 bags at a time,” Kamryn’s mom, Kelly, said.

Customers like Albert Bohorquez say the gesture brought them to tears.

“I thought it was the most precious thing in the world, young kids helping young kids,” Bohorquez said.

Kamryn’s makeshift cookie factory has turned into a nonstop operation — over 30 batches already baked. She and her mom admit they’re still learning as they go, but they’ve been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support.

“We don’t know how to bake anything else, but we’re getting there,” Kamryn said.

And there’s more to come.

Kamryn is planning a cookie pop-up sale on July 26th, with all proceeds going to help Hill Country families rebuild after the floods.

“Even a little small bit of help can turn into an explosion of help,” the Victory Lakes Intermediate student said.

If you’d like to support the Hill Country and Kamryn’s fundraiser, head to Cakes by Gina, located at 4165 Bissonnet St in Houston between noon and 3 p.m.

You can follow Kamrynskravings on Instagram for updates.