Kids Winner
Joanna Starkey
Pumpkin chocolate cake
Our inaugural event · September 19, 2026 · Roanoke, Virginia
House of Bread Bake-Off
What a wonderful
first Bake-Off.
Together, you raised $5,000 for House of Bread.
Roanoke, thank you. Our first Bake-Off brought community bakers, celebrity entries, and guests together to celebrate five graduates and support fresh starts for women in our community. We’re thrilled with the outcome—and grateful to everyone who made it possible.
You can still give. Support House of Bread’s work beyond the Bake-Off.
The evening’s impact
A first Bake-Off to be proud of.
- Raised for House of Bread
- $5,000
- Community entries
- 33
- Celebrity entries
- 9
- Graduates’ stories honored
- 5
The heart of the evening
Celebrating five
graduates’ journeys.
We shared and honored five graduates’ stories. Their journeys gave the evening its purpose.
To our graduates: thank you for sharing this celebration with us. We’re proud to honor you and the work you’ve done.
House of Bread helps women build job and personal skills through hands-on baking, food-safety training, and one-on-one mentoring. Every gift supports that work and the women taking their next steps.
Learn about House of Bread’s program ↗
A round of applause
Meet our 2026 winners.
Congratulations to every award winner. Here are the bakers and bakes we celebrated.
Community Bake-Off
Teen Winner
Gracie Ward
Chocolate raspberry cupcakes
Bread Winner
Tera Lewis
Tomato, garlic & herb focaccia
Pie Winner
Laurie Powell-Ward
Walnut cranberry tart
Cake Winner
Michele DeWalt
Chocolate Tiramisu cake
Cookies Winner
Hillary Wood
Nutella S’mores bars with toasted hazelnuts
Crowd favorites & celebrity honors
A little extra applause.
People’s Choice Youth
Gracie Ward
Chocolate raspberry cupcakes
People’s Choice Adults
Seth Marlow
Marjolaine
Celebrity Winner
Kathy Cohen
Artisan bread
To every baker who entered: thank you for sharing your talent, time, and love of baking.
An evening to remember
The joy was everywhere.
Shared tables, beautiful bakes, and people showing up for one another. Take another look at a wonderful first Bake-Off.
Watch the event video on YouTube ↗
Event photography: Keely Massie / Ginkgo Branding.
Everyone had a part in this
This success belongs to you.
Our bakers & guests
Thank you for the care you put into every entry, for attending, and for cheering on our graduates and winners. You made this a community celebration.
The people behind the evening
To our volunteers, judges, and emcee Lee Hunsaker: thank you for your time, energy, and care. Your work helped make our first Bake-Off possible.
Everyone who gave
To our donors, sponsors, and community partners: thank you for helping raise $5,000 and supporting House of Bread’s work. We’re so happy with what we accomplished together.
A grateful thank-you
Our sponsors & community partners.
We’re grateful to the organizations and businesses that helped bring our inaugural Bake-Off to life.
You can still make a difference
Support the next
fresh start.
The Bake-Off is over. The work you helped support continues.
A donation to House of Bread supports hands-on training, mentoring, and opportunities for women in our community. If the evening inspired you—or you couldn’t join us—you can still give today.
Donate to House of Bread ↗