The Secret to Healthy Kids and Communities: Ice Cream!

Dairy Queen is holding its second annual Miracle Treat Day next week Thursday, August 9. It's simple: you buy a Blizzard, and your local DQ gives the proceeds from that sale to the Children's Miracle Network hospital in your area.

To help the cause, the Madville Times will blog live from the event at the Madison Dairy Queen all day August 9, from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. (or until we can finally get the last Blizzard-eaters out the door). Why on Earth would the Madville Times leave the comfy shores of Lake Herman to spend an entire day in the metropolitan madhouse we call Madison?

Madville Times Top Ten Reasons
to Come to the Madison Dairy Queen for Miracle Treat Day

1. Eat Ice Cream! When else do you get to promote children's health by eating ice cream (with M&M's, cookie dough, and other yummy stuff in it)? And now, as if you needed any other reasons....
   
2. Help Friends and Neighbors! All of the proceeds stay in South Dakota to help our friends and neighbors. Proceeds from Madison DQ sales go to the Sanford Children's Hospital. You can read about some of the kids Sanford has helped in our area.
3. Be Part of a Sincere Effort to Do Good! The folks at Madison Dairy Queen really believe in this program. Miracle Treat Day isn't just another promotion for them; it's a very serious effort to help kids and give to the community. Madison DQ manager Lana Zillgitt has a son who was helped by the Children's Miracle Network. She knows the good work the organization does and wants to help others enjoy the same care her son got.
   
4. See Excellence in Action! You can watch Madison's top-notch Dairy Queen crew in action on their busiest business day of the year. The kids working for Madison DQ owner DeLon Mork all compete to be on the Blizzard crew. College students who've worked for DeLon in the past and are away for the summer call and tell him they'll come back to Madison just for this event. Everyone at DQ from the owner to the newest cashier gives it their all to make this event fun and successful.
5. Make Madison #1... Again! DeLon himself says that the competition among Dairy Queen stores is far from the msot important part of the event, but it certainly is part of the fun. The Madison Dairy Queen was the top Blizzard seller in North America during last year's inaugural Miracle Treat Day, and they're determined to be the best again this year. Last year, DeLon set a goal of 1000 Blizzards; he and his crew moved 3803 (and Mork got his head shaved as a result of a bet with his staff -- see the Madison Chamber newsletter, September 2006, page 8). That's the sort of Blizzard output that could void the warranty on a Blizzard machine. Amazing as last year's performance was, DeLon is determined to beat last year's sales and again lead the nation -- the continent! -- in Blizzard sales on Miracle Treat Day. That's a tall order, but DeLon and his crew have shown that when they set a goal, they deliver!
   
6. Watch DeLon Break the Sound Barrier! Did I say "deliver"? Yes, and literally! DeLon is taking pre-orders now from businesses that want to order Blizzards for their employees (call the Madison DQ at 256-4042!), and on August 9, he'll load the freezer in his truck and haul Blizzards all over town and beyond! DeLon's being on the road all day might actually be a disadvantage: getting to chat with DeLon over a bacon cheeseburger and a Blizzard is half the fun of a visit to the Madison DQ. But seeing the entrepreneurial hustle of DeLon and his entire crew in action will be a treat in itself.
7. See Business Done Right! The Madison Dairy Queen is so good, it's an industry leader. Their performance on last year's Miracle Treat Day became a model for Dairy Queens everywhere. International Dairy Queen created Blizzard coupons and other promotional materials for Mircale Treat Day based on what DeLon and his crew did last year. When you're eating at the Madison Dairy Queen, you're eating at the best in the fleet.
   
8. Rub Elbows with the Top Dog! You can meet International Dairy Queen President and CEO Charles Mooty, who's coming to see firsthand why the Madison Dairy Queen is so darn good.
   
9. Make Madison #1... in Everything! It's not just sick kids and Dairy Queen that benefit from this event: the whole community gets an object lesson in excellence and aspiration. The effort DeLon and his crew make shows that people in this community have the power to be the best in the country at something when they put their minds to it. The Madison Dairy Queen is a model for the success we can achieve in any field -- computer education at DSU, marching band at MHS, economic development on Main Street. So come ponder the possibilities over a Brownie Batter Blizzard!
10. Get blogged! The Madville Times will be reporting live from the Madison Dairy Queen from open to close on Miracle Treat Day. Stop by the table with your Blizzard and tell your Children's Miracle Network story. Tell your favorite DQ story. We'll put your stories online, along with regular updates on Blizzard sales, traffic, and all the fun going on at the Madison DQ.
    

Now remember: the Madville Times remains a passionate advocate of Being a Yokel and Buying Local. If you're in Brookings, Dell Rapids, Sioux Falls, or anywhere else that has a DQ, go to your local DQ and have a Blizzard. (Of course, Shawn Cable, we know you love blizzards, so feel free to come up!) But if you're traveling next week and the road leads you through Madison, stop by and help us Madisonites pack the Madison DQ. You can be part of a really fun and worthwhile cause... not to mention the closest thing Madison ever sees to a traffic jam!

So make your tummy happy, have ice cream on a summer day, see live blogging, and help sick kids get better. August 9 -- Madison Dairy Queen, on Highway 34, right in the heart (how appropriate) of the city. We'll see you there!