After years of hard work to earn her cakes a reputation as some of the best in town, Christi Rogers wasn’t about to let the loss of half her leg slow her down.
Through her home business, Christi’s Cakes, Cookies, Candy & Catering, Rogers bakes and caters for the community. For the last decade, she’s done it all from a wheelchair.
In 2001, Rogers learned she had cancer in her left knee and it would need to be replaced entirely. Because of the damage the cancer had done and the nature of the procedure, her leg had to be amputated from the knee down.
Though she retains some physical scars and needs a wheelchair to get around, Rogers this year celebrated her 10-year anniversary of becoming cancer-free. And she hasn’t let the setback stop her from doing what she loves.
“I’ve had to adapt and modify,” she says. “I’ve kept my kitchen as it is and just added a couple extra things over the years. There’s a lot more going on.”
Anyone walking into her kitchen can tell that this is more than simply a home kitchen. It has to be; Rogers has quite a following, and she’d hate to disappoint any of her fans.
“I have customers who won’t have cake from anyone else,” she says. “If I go on vacation, they don’t have cake that week.”
Her business is promoted mainly by word-of-mouth orders, and she is in the process of updating her website. Most of her clients are in Pickerington, though she also has quite a few in Dublin and Grove City. Her cookies are sold at Reynoldsburg-based 5 Bean Coffee.
Rogers bakes for all sorts of events, and she also caters weddings, church functions, office parties, bridal showers and banquets.
She credits her husband, Bill, and her daughter, Sharon, for supporting her.
“My husband is my legs,” she says.
She also appreciates her friends and family who have helped her continue her business over the years, supporting her at events and spreading the word about her bakery.
Rogers has lived in Pickerington since 1991 and has been baking even longer.
“It evolved from college, where I would make cakes for friends and for parties in our dorms,” she says.
Rogers graduated from The Ohio State University with a bachelor’s degree in food service and dietetics. She has worked in food service for numerous employers, including Port Columbus International Airport and Capital University.
Rogers has a long list of options for hungry customers, and she is more than willing to experiment beyond the bounds of that list. She offers four handmade frostings: buttercream, royal, cream cheese and non-dairy whipped. Her non-dairy whipped frosting is by far her most popular, especially because she can infuse it with a variety of flavors, including chocolate mousse and raspberry.
Her favorite creations are her devil’s food cake with raspberry filling and whipped frosting, and her frosted sugar cookies.
“If you can eat it, I can make it.” she says.
Rogers also uses her business as a way to stay active within her community. She is active in her church, Seton Parish, and caters many church functions. She donates a lot of time and treats to such community organizations as the local YWCA and the Pickerington Right to Life campaign.
“I’m trying to share my time and treasure with others,” Rogers says.
Allison Dalrymple is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
