Couple's Kona Ice franchise has fundraising at its heart

By Anya Tikka
DINGMANS FERRY — When husband-and-wife team Stephen and Cindy Webber bought their shaved ice truck, they had the whole community in mind.
Their franchise is from Kona Ice, known for helping to raise money for schools, sports teams, and other youth programs in need of extra funds.
The business contributes 20 percent of its profits to fundraising organizations. The Kona Ice website says fundraising is "not an afterthought" but at the center of the company.
"They purchase the fundraiser from us, and what we raised, we’ll give back 20 percent," said Cindy, who started the business in June.
That's a much larger contribution than made by many other commonly used fund-raising programs, she said.
Kona Ice trucks are topped with a tiny tiki hut, which makes them stand out from the bother trucks that deliver ice cream and ices. They're hard to miss, even at crowded events.
Cindy says Kona is different in another way too: custom ices.
“It’s called a flavorwave," she said. "We give them cups full of shaved ice, and they can make their own mix.”
After paying, customers are free to help themselves to as many flavors as they want by pulling levers attached to the side of the truck. They can choose flavors with colorful, kid-friendly names like “Pickle” and “Tigers Blood.”
So far, Stephen is mostly driving out on his own to area events, while Cindy helps with preparation and other things "here and there."
He’s already taken part in fundraisers, like one raising money for the Red Cross, and attended the usual summer outdoor events, like the Wayne County Fair and river festivals.
Stephen and Cindy hope to expand next summer, when they’ve got more experience. They're planning to approach Delaware Valley School District in Milford to host “Kona Days” and other fundraiserss.
“I’m going to approach the PTA, and we can do monthly or even weekly regular fundraisers for sports equipment or other activities,” Cindy said.
The ices are not only delicious, said Cindy. They're also good for you.
The range of flavors are full of vitamins C and D and sweetened only by natural Stevia and fruit juice, she said. Ices that are the equivalent of sports drinks and vitamin blends are also available.
“Kona is Smart Snack approved, that’s why we can work with schools," she said.