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Meredith’s Miracles raised over $111,000 at the 18th Annual Cookies with Characters event this year and broke yet another record for the organization’s most successful year.

“It just gets better every year. The love our community has for our event is incredible. We could not do it without our sponsors and volunteers,” Meredith’s Miracles Executive Director and Cookies with Characters Coordinator Kiley Spears said.

According to Spears, Meredith’s Miracles funded 1,089 medical trips for families totaling $159,275 in the 2023 calendar year.

“Cookies with Characters is our major fundraiser. The monies raised help set the stage for the year to fund medical trips for the foundation,” she said.

Attendance for all three shows at the event was a little over 3,000.

“We have people travel from all over. This year, I talked to a family that had come to Candyland. They traveled from Mississippi and bought tickets to Cookies with Characters. They told me they would come back every year now. We had several families come to Cookies with Characters that visited Candyland that learned about us. How great is that? We are making such an impact that people are visiting our town multiple times a year for events,” Spears added.

Cookies with Characters is the largest fundraiser for Meredith’s Miracles, which is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization specializing in assisting families in 27 Alabama counties with travel expenses during medical emergencies. Cookies with Characters helps Meredith’s Miracles set up for most of its funding each year. The remainder of the funding is produced through grants and the local thrift shop.

“Our Thrift Shop has actually grown bigger than Cookies with Characters for funding Meredith’s Miracles Children’s Foundation. If you don’t know about our Thrift Shop, you’re missing out. Please consider donating items or shop with us. We have been so blessed with the growth of it in the past few years,” Spears said.

Spears said those interested in learning more about Cookies with Characters or being a sponsor can visit the website at cookieswithcharacters.com for more information.

Meredith’s Miracles is located at 408 South Three Notch Street in Andalusia. For more information visit meredithsmiracles.org or call 334-222-2866 ext. 2.

“Thank you to everyone who has supported this foundation. We are truly grateful for your love and support of our organization each year. Together, we can make an impact in the lives of so many children,” Spears said.

Meredith’s Miracles was established in 2005 in memory of Meredith McGlamory, a local child who lost her battle with cancer when she was only five years old.