At 16, Connecticut teen began selling homemade cookies after his grandmother showed him the struggles of children with cancer; his charity has now raised $66,331 and helped nearly 1,000 children

At just 16, Vihaan Kamath found a simple way to turn something he loved, baking cookies, into a mission to help children battling cancer. Inspired by his grandmother’s dedication to helping families in need, the Connecticut teenager began selling homemade chocolate chip and sugar cookies for charity. What started as a small effort has grown into a nonprofit that has now raised $66,331 and helped nearly 1,000 children, while Vihaan works to ensure his mission continues long after he leaves for college.

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How Vihaan Kamath's cookie fundraiser began

Vihaan's journey started during visits to his grandmother, whom he calls “anama.” He watched her spend her time helping people and supporting children and families who were going through difficult circumstances. Those experiences stayed with him, particularly the stories he heard about children receiving cancer treatment.


Vihaan eventually decided that he wanted to find a way to help, too. Since baking was something he enjoyed doing with his mother and grandmother, he saw an opportunity to turn homemade cookies into a fundraiser.

Chocolate chip cookies and sugar cookies became the centerpiece of his effort. “I just kept reaching out to more people and local businesses and partnered with a few different people,” Vihaan said. “People really seemed to have an interest in it.”

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From a home kitchen to a growing charity

Initially, Vihaan contacted local businesses and corporations to offer his homemade cookies. His parents, Ravish and Vijaya, helped by providing ingredients including flour, sugar, eggs and chocolate chips.

The orders gradually grew. Vihaan baked most of the cookies in his home kitchen, although larger orders sometimes required the use of a local pastry shop. The shop's owner and employees supported his efforts and even offered suggestions to help him improve his recipes.

What began as a teenager's charity project eventually became something much bigger. In April 2025, Vihaan established a nonprofit through which proceeds could go toward charitable causes. He also created a website where people could order his cookies.

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Why helping children became so important to him

Vihaan's motivation came from seeing firsthand how difficult life can be for families with seriously ill children. During one visit to a pediatric cancer hospital, he encountered families who had traveled long distances seeking treatment for their children.

“That stuck with me through the years,” Vihaan said. That memory later helped shape his decision to support organizations helping children with cancer and other serious illnesses.

He eventually connected with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and began raising money for the organization through his cookie sales. “I found St. Jude to be one of the best places to partner with and help out,” Vihaan said.

His father thought the project might not last

For Vihaan's father, Ravish, the biggest surprise was how seriously his son took the project. As a busy teenager balancing school and sports, Vihaan initially seemed unlikely to sustain such a demanding commitment.

“I didn’t know how far he would go with this,” Ravish said. “It was surprising, but he started to get on social media channels for this and then started to reach out to local businesses. It is now something considerable that he has done.”

Vihaan continued expanding his fundraising efforts instead of treating the cookie business as a short-term school project.

Vihaan's charity has now raised $66,331

The teenager's homemade-cookie fundraiser has since grown into a significant charitable effort. By August 2026, Vihaan's nonprofit had raised $66,331, with the money helping support nearly 1,000 children.

His fundraising has included support for organizations helping children facing cancer and other challenges.

One of the most visible moments came when Vihaan traveled to Manhattan with hundreds of cookies and sold them to benefit St. Jude during an event for New York City Marathon runners.

Vihaan, now a high school junior, doesn't want his charity work to end when he leaves Connecticut for college.

He has already recruited younger students from his school and created a student board made up of sophomores and freshmen who can eventually take over different parts of the operation. “I’ll continue it when I go to college,” Vihaan said. “I don’t want to stop.”

His larger goal is to make the charity sustainable so younger students can continue the work after he graduates.

“I’ll continue it when I go to college. I don’t want to stop, but the plan is to have sophomores and freshmen do all aspects of the work, so it continues through generations and generations and so that this keeps growing.”

For a teenager who started with an oven, cookie dough and an idea, Vihaan's story has become a reminder that a small act of kindness can grow into something much larger.

FAQs

Who is Vihaan Kamath?

Vihaan Kamath is a Connecticut teenager who started selling homemade cookies to raise money for children and charitable organizations.

How much has Vihaan's charity raised?

His nonprofit had raised $66,331 by August 2026.

How many children has the fundraiser helped?

The charity's efforts have helped nearly 1,000 children.

Why did Vihaan start selling cookies?

He was inspired by his grandmother's charitable work and by seeing families dealing with serious childhood illnesses.

Will Vihaan continue the charity after high school?

Yes. Vihaan plans to continue his fundraising when he goes to college and has recruited younger students to help keep the effort going.