Villa Park Bakery Getting Fans' Help

VILLA PARK, IL — Just blocks from Elmhurst, Kuppie's Bakery at St. Charles Road and Villa Avenue in Villa Park discovered after its annual winter break that its oven was not functioning at capacity and was beyond repair.

Over the weekend, a GoFundMe page was created by one of the bakery's fans, Michelle Steber. As of Monday morning, the page had collected $54,000, with more than 1,000 contributions. Most of the donations were relatively small, but a couple of people gave about $1,000.

Dawn Hanrahan and her husband, Pedro, own the bakery.

"Their oven broke, and there's no fixing it, and it would be about a $50,000 purchase that no one was prepared for or in a position to do right now," Dawn's daughter, Robbie, said in a Facebook page over the weekend. "My mom and Papa P are two of the most selfless and giving people I know."

Steber set up the GoFundMe page over the weekend, calling Dawn Hanraham her favorite local baker.

"She’s baked for every one of my son’s birthdays. She made the most amazing donut tower for my wedding," Steber said. "She’s provided cookies and treats for fundraisers for schools, churches and local businesses. If you’ve ever had one of Pedro’s and Dawn’s creations, you know that’s why the line is so long on Saturdays. And don’t get me started on Paczki Tuesdays!"

Editor's Note: Patch is a GoFundMe promotional partner.