SWANSEA, MA - An ice cream shop located in the Swansea area of Massachusetts is promoting patriotism by offering free ice cream to kids who can recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
According to WLBT, the owner of the shop, Eskimo King is big on showing her patriotism for the United States year round, with one employee saying, "Our theme always is pretty much red, white, and blue. Our boss is big on patriotism." Megan Medeiros added, "July is always the busiest."
A few years back, the ice cream shop decided to make the larger-than-life menu even more sweet and patriotic. Children up to the age of 12 can get a free ice cream cone every Monday throughout the month of July if they recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Lauren Morra, another Eskimo King employee said, "It's fun to see them of all ages, especially the younger kids because they get nervous when they're trying to recite it and sometimes they have an older sibling guiding them along. It's adorable."
This July patriotic special has been happening since 2010 around the same time many schools started to remove the Pledge of Allegiance from the classrooms. Medeiros said, "My boss really wanted to get into it when they started taking the pledge out of schools. She wanted to bring patriotism back into businesses."
For the last 14 years the takeout window at Eskimo King has become the place for patriotism every Monday night in July. Medeiros added, "I think it's important to teach little kids how to say the pledge and what the meaning behind it is."
According to the employees at the ice cream shop, dozens of kids have shown up with their families to show their love for patriotism. Morra said, "You can tell they're happy with themselves. They're proud. I think it's really nice to keep patriotism alive in America. I know one of the reasons the owner wants to keep this going after all these years is because she believes in being proud to be an American."
Other ice cream shops around the country have joined in, creating their own patriotic events. Families who are interested in finding other ice cream shops can visit the "I Pledge" website. The website says that most shops will announce their "I Pledge for Ice Cream Project" on July 1st.
The idea for "pledging" for ice cream came from Stratton Leopold who wanted to start a national ice cream event that underscores the importance of patriotism among school-aged children. According to the website, the campaign was launched by Leopold's Ice Cream on a local level in Savannah, Georgia, in the summer of 2010.
Leopold said, "We couldn't believe the enthusiasm this generated from kids and parents alike. What a positive way to celebrate National Ice Cream month, which falls in July." In Leopold's view, nothing is, "as American as kids and ice cream."
In his effort to take this event national, Leopold's is sharing "I Pledge" promotional materials with ice cream shops across America at no charge. The ice cream shop plans to promote the event at the national level through press releases, Facebook Twitter, and with a YouTube page where ice cream lovers nationwide can upload videos of their family and friends saying the pledge of allegiance.
According to WLBT, the owner of the shop, Eskimo King is big on showing her patriotism for the United States year round, with one employee saying, "Our theme always is pretty much red, white, and blue. Our boss is big on patriotism." Megan Medeiros added, "July is always the busiest."
A few years back, the ice cream shop decided to make the larger-than-life menu even more sweet and patriotic. Children up to the age of 12 can get a free ice cream cone every Monday throughout the month of July if they recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Lauren Morra, another Eskimo King employee said, "It's fun to see them of all ages, especially the younger kids because they get nervous when they're trying to recite it and sometimes they have an older sibling guiding them along. It's adorable."
This July patriotic special has been happening since 2010 around the same time many schools started to remove the Pledge of Allegiance from the classrooms. Medeiros said, "My boss really wanted to get into it when they started taking the pledge out of schools. She wanted to bring patriotism back into businesses."
For the last 14 years the takeout window at Eskimo King has become the place for patriotism every Monday night in July. Medeiros added, "I think it's important to teach little kids how to say the pledge and what the meaning behind it is."
According to the employees at the ice cream shop, dozens of kids have shown up with their families to show their love for patriotism. Morra said, "You can tell they're happy with themselves. They're proud. I think it's really nice to keep patriotism alive in America. I know one of the reasons the owner wants to keep this going after all these years is because she believes in being proud to be an American."
Other ice cream shops around the country have joined in, creating their own patriotic events. Families who are interested in finding other ice cream shops can visit the "I Pledge" website. The website says that most shops will announce their "I Pledge for Ice Cream Project" on July 1st.
The idea for "pledging" for ice cream came from Stratton Leopold who wanted to start a national ice cream event that underscores the importance of patriotism among school-aged children. According to the website, the campaign was launched by Leopold's Ice Cream on a local level in Savannah, Georgia, in the summer of 2010.
Leopold said, "We couldn't believe the enthusiasm this generated from kids and parents alike. What a positive way to celebrate National Ice Cream month, which falls in July." In Leopold's view, nothing is, "as American as kids and ice cream."
In his effort to take this event national, Leopold's is sharing "I Pledge" promotional materials with ice cream shops across America at no charge. The ice cream shop plans to promote the event at the national level through press releases, Facebook Twitter, and with a YouTube page where ice cream lovers nationwide can upload videos of their family and friends saying the pledge of allegiance.
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