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Better Chance To Partner With Cold Stone Creamery
In Appleton's Octoberfest Celebration Saturday
by Bob
Lowe
September 21, 2005
Forget beer, which has always been a popular and integral
part of the Octoberfest celebration, which kicks off this
evening and culminates with more than 50,000 people flocking
to downtown Appleton on Saturday.
The new treat that may generate the greatest buzz on College
Avenue Saturday is ice cream.
Huh?
We are not talking about regular hard-packed ice cream
from your local supermarket or even the soft-serve desserts
offered by places like Dairy Queen or Baskin- Robbins, as
good as those tasty confections are.
We
are talking about the latest entry into the ice cream market
with sinfully delicious names like Chocolate Devotion,
Cheesecake Fantasy, Oreo Overload, Banana Split Decision,
Cocoa Banana Cabana and Nights in White Chocolate. This "super
premium" ice cream is mixed on a frozen stone and served
on freshly baked waffle cones.
These "smooth and creamy" productions
will be sold by Cold Stone Creamery as a fund-raiser for
the A Better Chance (ABC) program.
ABC provides academically talented multicultural students
with educational and personal development opportunities at
local high schools to better prepare them for college, career
advancement and leadership within their own communities.
Their
booth will be set up in the 200 block of E. College Avenue,
near Conkey’s Bookstore, which is also assisting
ABC in the fund-raiser.
Cold Stone Creamery, a franchise based in Tempe, Ariz.,
opened its first Fox Cities store in the J.C. Penney wing
of the Fox River Mall in Appleton in August 2004. The second
store opened in November of that year at 3420 E Calumet St.,
near the 441 beltway intersection.
The two stores are owned by Duane and Ellen Brown of Neenah.
Ellen
Brown said they wanted to partner with a local non-profit
group for last year’s Octoberfest to help promote its
products while serving a worthy cause. But she did not have
sufficient time to prepare because of the work involved in
launching the two stores.
This year, they linked up with the ABC program and are
looking forward to introducing its tasty ice cream to residents
who have not yet tried it.
"We will be serving three flavors," said Ellen
Brown, "Chocolate Devotion, Caramel Turtle Temptation
and Strawberry Shortcake Serenade." Each will be sold
for $3 per cup.
ABC welcomed the partnership, according to Dan Kersten,
the president of the ABC board. Even though the organization
has been bringing students to Appleton since 1968 and has
had a continuous partnership with Lawrence University for
35 years, the group needed to raise its profile to stabilize
and expand its financial base.
"As we are a program that is volunteer run, we rely
on connections within the community for funding and volunteer
help," Kersten said.
This
is the group’s first participation in Octoberfest.
All of the students in this year’s ABC program – seniors
Isaiah Burch and Everton Boyd, junior Darin Tann, sophomore
Anthony Neal and new student, Warren Norris, a sophomore
at Appleton West High School – will be assisting at
the booth, along with ABC board members and volunteers, according
to Tracey Berger, resident director.
During the school year, the students reside at the ABC
House, 416 E.
Washington St. , which is owned by Lawrence University.
They spend Sundays and one weekend each month with host families
and participate in a number of school and community events
designed to develop their leadership skills. More than 90%
of the ABC students enroll in college, Kersten said.
Appleton ’s
Octoberfest has expanded from a one-day event to four days
this year, marking its 25th anniversary. The outdoor festival
was started by the Appleton Downtown Retail Association
(the predecessor of Appleton Downtown Inc.) As a way to
promote their businesses, improve the community image and
showcase downtown Appleton.
In
1987, it added License to Cruise, a vintage car show on
the Friday night preceding the event. This year, two bonus
days were added, Heritage Day, a celebration of German
food and culture, from 5:30-9:30 p.m. on Wednesday, and
Community Day from noon to 9 p.m. Thursday, also at Houdini
Plaza in downtown Appleton. Performers will include the
Fox Valleyaires Men’s
Barbershop Chorus, the Village of Little Chute and Kimberly
Community Bands and Comedy Magic of Mike. Free trolley
rides will be available from 4-9 p.m.
License to Cruise will run from 6-10 p.m. Friday on College
Avenue, from State to Drew streets. The big party Saturday
gets underway from 9 a.m., with music beginning at 11 a.m.
until 5:30 p.m. on five stages.
In a sense, Octoberfest stretches into a fifth day this
year, with the Community First Fox Cities Marathon. The Marathon
course begins on McMahon Dr. near the intersection of Hwy.10
and County Rd. CB in the Town of Menasha. It will proceed
through nine communities in the Fox Cities before finishing
at the Barlow Planetarium on the UW-Fox Valley campus in
Menasha. The main event, featuring runners and relay teams,
start at 8 a.m.
For
comments or questions, contact boblowe@juno.com or
by phone at (920)-731-4603.
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