Sweet treats to
fight cancer
Her family touched by cancer, this young baker is making a difference for others.
proceeds to Sylvester because my aunt was
She is only 12 years old, but Dagny Jerles
Instagram page that accepts orders for specific
has already founded DagnysCakePlace,
holiday events, such as Rosh Hashanah, for
an Instagram-based baking venture that
which she created a honey cake with apples.
it inspired me to help,” Dagny said. “My
donates all its proceeds to help Sylvester
Dagny then bakes the orders, and her parents
grandparents, Amy Dean and Alan Kluger, and
Comprehensive Cancer Center fight cancer.
deliver the baked goods.
my uncle Jesse all love my cake business and
“I’ve always loved baking,” Dagny said. “It
treated there.” Dagny’s aunt, Stephanie Dean-Kluger, lost a battle with neuroendocrine cancer in April 2020. DagnysCakePlace is run through an
“I’ve been so proud and impressed with
Dagny Jerles
even help me sell cakes to their friends.”
became a passion for me when the pandemic
how she has run with this,” said Lisa Jerles,
hit because I was stuck in the house.”
Dagny’s mom and delivery driver. “We deliver
on a project like this and sticking with it,”
the cakes, but every other part of this project is
said Alan Kluger, founding partner at Kluger,
fully run by her.”
Kaplan, Silverman, Katzen & Levine, P.L.,
DagnysCakePlace began last year as her sixth-grade project at Miami Country Day School. Although the school project ended,
In its first year, DagnysCakePlace made
“I’m extremely proud of Dagny for taking
co-founder of the Dean-Kluger Charitable
Dagny has continued to run the charity as her
$350 in sales, and this year, Dagny’s baking
Foundation and a member of the Sylvester
own passion project.
has led to more than $3,000 being donated to
Board of Overseers. “My wife and I have
Sylvester. She has also set up a UCare page so
always tried to model the importance of
which is basically a passion project that helps
the proceeds from the orders can go directly
philanthropy and generosity to our children
people,” Dagny said. “Since I like to bake,
to the cancer center.
and grandchildren. It is wonderful to see
“My school assigned a Genius Project,
I decided to start a bakery and donate the
“My family is always volunteering, and
Dagny giving back at such a young age.”
DCC XII sets new records Nearly 4,500 cyclists, runners, and walkers participated in the 12th annual Dolphins Challenge Cancer (DCC XII), raising more than $8 million for cancer research at Sylvester. ILLUMINATE
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