Ice cream lovers are being asked by Englewood Cliffs-based Unilever USA’s Good Humor to show support for their favorite mobile ice cream vendor by voting online to determine a winner of the brand’s Neighborhood Joy Grant Program.
The initiative seeks to provide business owners with partnerships, funding and other resources to ensure they stay on the road for years to come.
For many, the iconic Good Humor truck is the epitome of a fun-filled and joyful summer. In fact, according to a study conducted by Good Humor, nearly 2/3 of Americans would be upset if ice cream trucks and carts became a thing of the past. But, now, consumers have the power to help a local ice cream truck driver receive a business-changing grant and ensure that the joy of ice cream trucks remains in America’s neighborhoods.
As part of its continued commitment to spreading joy through its Neighborhood Joy Grant program, Good Humor announced its grant support for five local ice cream vendors across the country.
Today, the Unilever brand is calling on ice cream lovers to vote for the Joy Driver of the Year — the grand prize winner of the Good Humor Neighborhood Joy Grant Program.
From a pool of more than 200 applicants, 16 ice cream mobile vendors were selected as semifinalists, who each received a $5,000 grant. Five finalists were then selected based on their heartwarming stories about their businesses and how they would use the grant money, with Kathy Conte of Oceanport being one of the five.
The other four finalists are:
- Joshua Malatino, Amsterdam, New York;
- Alice Kimbrough, Jacksonville, Florida;
- Philip Smith, Bay City and the Great Lakes Bay Area, Michigan; and
- Zoe Green, Kaneohe, Hawaii.
“Our Neighborhood Joy Program is designed to support ice cream truck drivers, pushcart operators and vendors who are an extension of our brand. They are on the front lines delivering ice cream to their communities and bringing the joy of the ice cream truck to life,” Bentley King, U.S. head of ice cream operations at Unilever, said. “It has been a privilege to hear the personal stories, hardships and successes of our finalists. We are honored to continue our support of American ice cream drivers and vendors.”
Consumers can learn more about the finalists and vote now for the Good Humor Joy Driver of the Year here through 11:59 p.m. April 14.
