As a kid, I used to collect change and save it up in a jar. I'd always keep my eyes on the sidewalk and sneak into the laundry room to see if there was any spare change lying around.
If I was really lucky, sometimes I'd even find a dollar bill or two lying around. The tooth fairy was a pretty good source for change, too.
Why did I spend so much time collecting coins? The ice cream man, of course! Nothing was more exciting than playing in the backyard with friends on a hot summer day and suddenly hearing the cheerful tune of the ice cream man driving up the road.
I'd run inside, empty my coin jar and dig into my ice cream sandwich before my parents could utter the words, "You haven't eaten dinner yet!"
Now that I'm older, I realize how fortunate I was. Even if I didn't have enough change in my coin jar, my parents would usually relent and buy my friends and me our favorite ice cream.
Many parents in lower-income neighborhoods can't afford to let go of that spare change even for an ice cream cone. James Karagiannis, otherwise known as the Ice Creamcycle Dude, is determined to change all of that.
Scroll down to find out how the Ice Creamcycle Dude is changing lives one ice cream at a time, and let us know what you think of his story in the comments below!
[H/T: The Buffalo News]
James Karagiannis and his fellow Ice Creamcycle Dudes pedal their three-wheel ice cream carts through the streets of Buffalo, NY.
They sell cold treats of all kinds for just $1.
The business started in 2007 and has recently been grabbing national attention for a few incredible reasons.
"One of the hardest parts about being an ice cream dude is seeing the disappointment on a kid's face when all of their friends buy ice cream but they're left out because they don't have a dollar," Karagiannis explained on his Facebook page.
Instead of turning the kids away, Karagiannis and his crew began asking the kids math and history questions.
If they got the answer right, they'd be rewarded with a free ice cream.
Word spread throughout the city about the generous traveling ice cream men and donations began rolling in.
People all over would start contributing $5 here and $10 there; it began to get a little confusing!
Karagiannis made a few changes to his business plan to help keep track of the donations.
He also made a few tweaks to the free ice cream cone side of the business.
Instead of asking math and history questions, Karagiannis began having the children fill out thank-you notes to those who donated money to the cause in exchange for a free ice cream cone. Needless to say, the idea has been a total hit.
One donor even posted on Karagiannis' Facebook page after she received her thank-you note.
"Getting this in the mail kind of made up for a not-great morning today," Christine Lo, the donor, posted.
"Love the Ice Creamcycle Dude's commitment to the kids he serves. I'm looking forward to getting more cards and seeing who got the ice cream from the rest of my donation. Win-win."
The popularity of his ice cream program has quickly morphed into something bigger.
Karagiannis began a "pay it forward" system on his Facebook page, and the results have been astounding.
Several hundreds of dollars quickly jumped to $4,500 in a matter of days.
Karagiannis never imagined his small good deeds would garner this much attention, but he's thrilled with the results.
An ice cream cone might not mean much to some people, but for a child, it could mean the world.
Have you ever gone out of your way to make a needy child's day? Let us know in the comments, and don't forget to SHARE this heartwarming story with your friends and family!
