Brautigam competed in The Greatest Baker

Carrie Brautigam used her love of cooking to help others this past holiday season.

Brautigam of Coshocton participated in an online, nationwide baking competition called The Greatest Baker. Fans could vote for Brautigam online and earn her extra points by making donations to the Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation.

“Andrew was a 14-year-old who passed away from an aggressive form of leukemia,” Brautigam said. “He had B+ blood type, which became his message: ‘Be Positive.’”

Brautigam’s love of baking came from her mother.

“I am the youngest of five children, and my mother was my greatest influence when it came to baking,” Brautigam said. “She made everything from scratch and taught me all her tricks. My favorite toy was my Easy Bake Oven. She would indulge me by giving me some batter or dough and was never bothered by me being in the kitchen. Sadly, she passed away in October.”

Brautigam posted pictures of her baked goods on her Facebook page and links to her voting page. The winner of the contest received $10,000, and Brautigam finished in the top 10.

“I bake so much,” she said. “Over the last year, I’ve done a lot of birthday cakes. It’s a creative outlet. Normally, I have no guidelines for them. I just think about who the person is and try to make it personal to them.”

Although she didn’t win, Brautigam was happy to be able to help others.

“My husband passed away from ALS, and I was a big advocate for that,” she said. “When I saw a different fundraiser, I knew I wanted to help. You never know when your time is up. You have to make the most of what you have while you are here.”

For more information on The Greatest Baker, visit greatestbaker.org.