“One of the hardest parts about being an ice cream dude is seeing the disappointment on a kids face when all of their friends buy ice cream, but they’re left out because they don’t have a dollar. So this year we opened it up and let others donate money and in return we’re going to have the kids write a thank you card, which we will then mail to the people who donated the money. Maybe it arrives in your mailbox long after you’ve forgotten about it, maybe it arrives on a day you could use an extra smile.
I don’t like the idea of just giving something away to a kid without at least trying to teach a lesson. We’re in these neighborhoods everyday and are a part of these kids lives, therefore we have the responsibility to be positive role models. So we came up with the idea that if they want a free ice cream, they’re going to have to write a thank you note.
I often have people give me a few bucks and say give ice cream to the next few kids. However they never get to see the joy on kids faces when I hand them out. Now there’s an opportunity to put a smile on someone’s face and receive one in return. Everybody is happy and it’s just so simple. It’s not really hard to make a difference.”
Credit- Robert Kirkham
