NORWICH – Last year more than 40 local celebrities whipped up batches of homemade cookies in all shapes and sizes in support of The Children’s Center’s first Cookies and Cream event.

This year, many of them will be asked to do it all over again. But this time, the community will get to decide whose cookies they want to see in the running for the prestigious Golden Cookie award, given to the chef whose cookies command the highest price in the event’s silent auction.

“Last year being our first year, we got nominations from a small committee,” explained Campaign Chair Martha Brower-Ryan. “Opening the nomination process to the entire community helps us accomplish two goals; to allow everyone in the community to participate in the process and second, to raise funds to cover the cost of the fundraising event.”

In order to nominate a celebrity, community members will need to make a donation of at least $1 to The Children’s Center for each nomination. People are welcome to nominate as many local celebs as they like, including themselves, according to Ryan, and all contributions are, of course, tax deductible.

The 40 celebrities who receive the highest dollar amount of nominations will be chosen to compete in the 2010 event, tentatively scheduled for Jan. 28, 2010. Each will be asked to bake two dozen of their favorite cookies, one dozen of which will be judged and the other auctioned off.

“One hundred percent of the funds raised from the Celebrity Cookie auction go to support the scholarship program of the Children's Center,” reported Jan Coddington, Executive Director of Catholic Charities.

According to Coddington, the non-profit child care center’s scholarship program currently helps offset the costs of tuition for 52 percent of children enrolled.