When Chloe Townsend’s grandfather taught her how to downhill ski when she was just 2 years old, he could hardly have envisioned he was launching a toddler toward becoming an elite athlete. “He simply wanted an activity to do with the grandkids,” Chloe says. But today, this Edina High School student, who began alpine ski racing at the age of 6, is part of the Edina Alpine Ski Team and the Buck Hill Ski Racing Team. She’s won the 2013 Junior Championship gold medal for slalom, and is currently training for the 2015 Junior Championship where she hopes to qualify for the U16 Nationals ski competition.
Reaching the heights of success in ski racing requires a significant investment in training, travel and equipment. To defray some of these expenses, Chloe asked the owners of D’Amico & Sons if the company would be willing to help out in some way. Restaurant co-owners, Richard and Larry D’Amico are known for their community involvement and donations to multiple fundraisers and various causes. And coincidentally, the D’Amico’s Edina location is only a couple of years older than Chloe. It’s like they grew up together. But it was Chloe’s inspiring story of achievement and her desire to continue pressing on toward even greater levels of success that motivated the D’Amico family and staff to try something new. They're calling it Cookies for Chloe.
The D’Amico & Sons Cookies for Chloe campaign will donate 75 percent of the proceeds from the sale of every double-chocolate cookie through February 28 and includes sales at all 10 of Twin Cities D’Amico & Sons restaurants.
The double-chocolate cookie was chosen because it is Chloe’s favorite. It’s made with grated bittersweet chocolate and Guittard milk chocolate callets, wheat flour and oat flour. It has a crunchy outer texture with a supple center.
“Cookies for Chloe is an opportunity for our restaurants and our guests to help nurture young talent and change the life of a hometown athlete and U.S. Olympic hopeful,” Richard D’Amico says.
