I See Hope for a Sweeter Future

Today, I’m honored to announce my nomination for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Man of the Year Award. As part of our mission to provide ‘sweeter futures’ for those that need our help most, The ICEE Company will launch the ICEE Hope initiative and will be partnering with LLS in the fight against blood cancer. We are dedicated to improving the quality of life for patients and their families and have set ourselves an ambitious goal to raise $100,000 by May 21st.

The ICEE Company has always been focused on creating memorable experiences that allow anyone to feel like a kid again. Almost every time I am out in public wearing an ICEE shirt, someone shares with me their unique experience and memories with our product. It is fun to hear stories from so many— how they grew up getting an ICEE every Friday after school with their friends or looked forward to getting ICEE’s on the family road trip every summer. Often, I hear how they continue these ICEE traditions with their children. I love hearing how ICEE creates special, almost magical, moments of joy that showcases how ICEE truly is a kid in a cup.

One of my favorite ways I’ve seen the magic of ICEE is in pediatric hospitals, specifically in cancer treatment centers. We’ve had the immense pleasure of providing ICEE machines to several of these facilities in hopes of bringing joy to the young boys and girls that need it most. The courage, strength, and hope these children and their families embody is inspiring. What they go through is something that no child or family should ever have to endure. It is so encouraging to see how the simple treat of an ICEE while they are at the hospital brings a moment of delight and excitement in the midst of tough times.

Seeing our mission come to life as our product sparks joy and hope has motivated us to increase our efforts through ICEE Hope.

I recently learned that while survival rates for cancer patients have greatly improved through the years, it's a heartbreaking fact that one-third of patients with a blood cancer still do not survive even five years after their diagnosis.?Campaigns like LLS’s Man of the Year provide the necessary funding that is needed to quickly bring better therapies to patients.

Like many families, I have seen firsthand how cancer can change the lives of individuals and their families.?In 2010, I lost my brother-in-law to lung cancer at only 54 years old.?He was a dear friend, parent, and husband. Our families shared many?great times together. He was one of those people who was never too busy to listen and share his wisdom. I will never forget how impactful he was all the way through his battle, always looking for those golden opportunities to inspire others. Losing him has made a lasting impact on our family and has deeply driven my work with LLS.

The work LLS is doing gives me hope for a future without cancer and I am honored to help. The LLS Man of the Year Award is part of the national Man and Woman of the Year campaign to benefit LLS’s mission to cure blood cancers and to improve the quality of life for patients and their families. The title will go to the top fundraiser.

Alongside The ICEE Company and our many partners, I’m excited to join LLS in the fight against cancer. We are a strong, diverse community but cancer affects all of us in some way.

I see hope for a world without cancer. Together, we can work to make that happen. I hope you will join me in the fight against cancer and support LLS by contributing at ICEEHope.com. No contribution is too small or too big—it all helps us reach our vision of a sweeter future without cancer.