Nov 14, 2010

Labor of love: Mom opens store to help blind daughterBy Brook StockbergerLCSun-News.com

Las Cruces – As the crowd thinned, Krisha DeLong took a moment Thursday to survey her store’s kitchen.

“We’re out,” she said, casting a eye over mostly empty racks that earlier held flavorful cupcakes (pumpkin spice, red velvet and vanilla to name a few).

“This is the third day in a row.”

The new business, Cupcake Hut & Rock n Roll Gift Shop, 2001 E. Lohman Ave. in the Arroyo Plaza, had just opened its doors with a grand opening celebration on Nov. 6 and had its first full day on Nov. 9, so DeLong, 33, took the demand for her product as good news.

“It has been amazing,” she said. “We’ve stayed every night until 10:30 baking and cleaning.”

Employee Adriana Zizumbo said the business is still trying to get a handle on how many cupcakes to make.

“We sold out (when we opened) so the next day we made double and sold out, so then we made triple,” she said.

The long hours and hard work have not stopped DeLong, though. As she spoke from the kitchen, she could see out into the store to watch her 11-year-old daughter, Kambree Wilbanks, talk to customers and friends.

The Cupcake Hut & Rock n Roll Gift Shop is a labor of love. Kambree, the oldest of four, has been blind from birth. DeLong hopes the store will give her child an option for the future.

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