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There are always people who go above and beyond.
They’re just hard to find.
On a late afternoon 99 degree summer day, a Dairy Queen in Orangevale is busy. The line is ten deep. Why? No so much because milkshakes cool you down, but because it's " MiracleTreat Day."
Twice a year, the owners of this “DQ” open their hearts to raise money for kids. T-shirts are sold, coupons are purchased, and there are activities galore. All proceeds on “Miracle Treat Day” go to benefit the UC Davis Children's Hospital.
The feel here at this Orangevale DQ is the 1950s, an era when small-town America came out to a neighborhood drive-in for charity. The support from the classic car owners that come 100-strong makes the event extra cool. It's now a big part of the day.
Joe Ellering is the franchise co-owner of the Orangevale DQ.
He said, "Last year on Miracle Treat Day we asked a couple of car guys to come down and half a dozen of them of the best cars and it just clicked. So it seemed like a natural to have them come down and tie it all together, and here we are."
Joe has been involved in the Children's Miracle Network since 1983 as a franchisee for Dairy Queen. Years later, when his grandson had an issue with diabetes, he ended up at the UC Davis Children's Hospital. Coincidence?
"We really haven't had the time to reflect on it that way," Joe said. “It felt really good for us to tie in when I've been involved with it for years, and it's worked really well for me. I can't believe that it's touched so close to home, but it reassures and validated what we were doing."
What they are doing is actually two “Miracle Treat Days” a year. They are so into helping the cause that one day of giving isn’t enough for the Ellerings.
Joe’s wife Cynthia added, "It's amazing the things they do for the kids. So we felt it was necessary and time to step up, and we've loved every minute of it."
The community support is stunning. Year after year, hundreds of customers and friends come back to volunteer for “Miracle Treat Day."
Joe and Cynthia's passion.
You can imagine the amount of planning and work that goes into a day like this.
I asked them when they pack up and turn off the lights and drive home, what's the feeling like after an event like this?
"Rewarding, very rewarding, especially when we make so many friends here that come in and out of here. People that we get to know," Joe said. "They turn around and come back for these events, so it's another way for us to give back to the community when they give back to us."
Miracle Treat Day for all Dairy Queens is Thursday, Aug. 2. $1 or more from every Blizzard Treat sold at DQ locations will be donated to the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, according to the company website.