Saratoga News

Photograph by Robert Scheer

Dave Howell (right) pitches a copy of his cookbook, "Dave's Decadent Desserts," to Jane Tuffo.

Safeway employee cooks up a fundraiser for Easter Seals

Howell is well-known for the home-baked treats he brings

By Cecily Barnes

Down at the Saratoga Safeway store, employee Dave Howell has been selling not only food, but a self-authored recipe book telling how to cook it. He is donating all of the proceeds to the Easter Seal Society, which aids people with disabilities.

Howell cooked up this idea in response to an Easter Seal fund-raiser held by the Northern California Safeway stores. The supermarket chain is sponsoring a 24-hour relay, and participating stores will send teams of employees to run circles around the Cal-State Hayward track on Sept 28 and 29.

"They're hoping to bring in $300,000 for this one event," said Easter Seal spokeswoman Tiffany Gumfory.

Rather than put on his running shoes, Howell decided to contribute to the charity in a different way. He put on his baking cap, typed out some secret ingredients and compiled Dave's Decadent Desserts and Other Fine Recipes. Next, he ran off copies on the store's copy machine and sold them for $5. So far, he has sold 400 copies and raised $2,000 for the Easter Seals.

"I'd say the whole town's bought them," Howell said.

Howell has worked at the Safeway in Argonaut Shopping Center for 19 years, and he is well-known for the home-baked treats he brings for his customers, who told him that had anyone else cooked up the recipe-book idea, the project would not have enjoyed the same success.

"People cherish him at that Safeway," ex-Safeway employee Cindy Anderson said. "He brings treats and gives them to the customers. Safeway would be lost without that Dave."

Howell's recipe book has been a big success. Customers are very pleased with the outcome of the recipes.

"The millionaire shortbread--that one was great," customer Jane Tuffo said as she pushed her cart around the store.

"The butterflied leg of lamb," Anderson said, with her index finger pressed to the page. "Now, that one's good."

Howell's recipe book will be on sale at the Saratoga Safeway store until Saturday, Sept. 28. Howell said he enjoyed the project so much that he plans to come out with Dave's Decadent Desserts and Other Fine Recipes, Volume II, around Christmas.