Tell All Thursday: Ice Cream for Breakfast Day
This Saturday, February 2nd we're celebrating Ice Cream for Breakfast Day, but we are not the first or the only ones celebrating the historic holiday this weekend.
The first Ice Cream for Breakfast Day was in the 1960s on a snowy day in Rochester, New York when an innovative Florence Rappaport, mother of six children, declared they would enjoy ice cream for breakfast to change the minds of her youngest children who complained it was too cold to do anything. Given the record temperatures this week in Ontario, we can sympathize with little Ruth and Joe Rappaport who felt the cold was holding them back from doing as they please that day.
The following year, the children reminded their mother of the fun event and it soon became tradition that they passed on to family and friends as they grew older and the weather grew cold. Thanks to Florence's well-travelled grandchildren and the popularity of the day, celebrations small and large happen in China, Nepal, New Zealand, Germany, Namibia, Honduras, and Israel.
Nowadays, Ice Cream for Breakfast Day has taken on a much larger purpose than staying entertained in cold weather though. In 2013, the family and friends of Malia Grace, a 9-year-old girl that passed away in 2010 from a 14-month battle with cancer, celebrated her life and birthday by hosting a large party and eating ice cream for breakfast on February 18th. Their celebration went viral and they had people from all over sending photos of them also eating ice cream for breakfast to show support.
In response, Ice Cream for Breakfast Day (celebrated on both the first Saturday of February and on Malia's birthday, February 18th) has been used globally as a day of awareness for cancer and raising funds for charities that support cancer patients. That's why we decided for our upcoming Ice Cream for Breakfast Day to partner with Grand River Hospital Foundation and raise funds for Grand River Regional Cancer Centre in our community.
Join us at the Cone Counter (137 Glasgow Street) this Saturday 11am-2pm to eat ice cream for breakfast with special breakfast toppings, waffle cone breakfast bowls, and a pyjama photo contest with a prize. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Grand River Hospital Foundation and we'll also have a donation box where you can leave your change. We're so excited to bring this celebration to our community and we hope you can join us!
Love & Ice Cream,
Four All