After a long workout or school practice, nothing is better than something refreshing. Instead of water, Kona Ice is available for after school activities so students can refresh with a snow cone or ice cream after a grueling practice, or even a fun in-school activity.
“We thought it would be something everyone would enjoy and then saw this truck and thought it was great way to execute this plan,” owner Julianne Baxter said. The truck is a little bigger than an ice cream truck and features various animals and designs in vibrant colors.
“We saw the truck and fell in love with it. I mean ice cream trucks come through the neighborhood and they’re all boring and scary looking, but this truck was so fun and offers a more fun environment, if you will,” Baxter said.
Baxter and her husband and co-owner David Frasier, travel all over the county selling snow cones and other treats from their trucks, going to day cares, fairs, Wildwood movie nights and concerts, Washington schools, church functions and for fundraisers, too.
In fact, Kona Ice has done a fundraiser to benefit the LHS soccer teams. “We helped them and shared half the profits with the soccer boosters,” Baxter said.
Activities Director Steve Berry was contacted by Kona Ice and asked if they could arrange to come in after school since they live in the LHS area.
When asked about how the arrangement came about, Berry said, “ They’re welcome to come and set up on their own, except when we have a varsity football game, unless they arrange something with the band boosters. [Band boosters] have exclusivity with concession stands and then when we have varsity soccer games, [Kona Ice] has a thing with the soccer boosters where they set up and sell the snow cones and write them a check. They go about operating business like you would any place, but at the end of the year they’re going to give back to Lafayette.”
Along with the fundraiser they have done at Lafayette, Kona Ice participated in supporting the Walk for Life to benefit cancer patients as well as the Valley Park Palooza.
Baxter believes the favorite flavors of snow cones, are the one’s kids can do themselves, “Cherry, strawberry, blue raspberry, tiger’s blood, pina colada and grape- the basics. Everyone likes the cookies and ice cream as well.”
Baxter continued, “We also added in sugar free flavors, David is diabetic and it’s not fair for diabetics because they want something good and refreshing too,”
Frasier isn’t the only diabetic who enjoys a good snow cone. “We were at one fair and this guy came up and was so thrilled that we had them [sugar free flavors] because his daughter was diabetic. She never could have ice cream,” Baxter said.
Students are not the only ones to enjoy this addition to after school activities, the owners do as well, “We both work full time and do this because no one really retires any more in this climate, and it’s just fun to do,” Baxter said.
“Its’ one of those things where people are always glad to see you. The product is refreshing and one of my guilty pleasures,” Baxter concluded.
