By Zanub Saeed
Dreyer's and Edy's ice cream brand announced on Wednesday that they will give away 25,000 scoops of ice cream, and for each "ice cream smile" received from consumers and posted on their Facebook pages, $5 will be donated to the Operation Smile charity.
The campaign for Operation Smile began on June 6th in Los Angeles, where celebrity Brook Burke will be handing out free scoops of Dreyer's/Edy's Slow Churned Light Ice Cream, said a press release issued by Nestle Dreyer's Ice Cream on Wednesday. Operation Smile hopes to capture 25,000 photos of grinning ice cream lovers before the end of the summer in August, to help benefit their cause.
The proceeds made from the collaboration between Operation Smile and Dreyer's/Edy's will go to provide over 500 reconstructive surgeries to children with cleft lips, palates, and various facial deformities around the world, said the press release.
"Every three minutes a child is born with a cleft - often, they are unable to eat, speak, socialize or smile. At Operation Smile, we are dedicated to restoring the gift of a smile by providing healthcare evaluations and free surgeries around the world for children in need," Lisa Jardanhazy, Vice President, Strategic Partnerships and Cause Marketing at Operation Smile, said for the press release. "We are so thrilled that Dreyer's/Edy's Slow Churned will be supporting us this year. Their brand mission could not be more in line with what we do every single day - talk about a reason to smile!"
Scoops of the Slow Churned brand will be giving out at a handful of major cities across the United States from June to August, all handed out by Burke herself. Dreyer's and Edy's set up a Slow Churned photo booth, noted the press release, where ice cream lovers can take their photos and be posted on Facebook to be eligible for the charity. Edy's and Dreyer's will donate $5 for each smile, up to $125,000 overall to benefit Operation Smile.
The various venues set to give away ice cream with Burke include, as listed in the press release: The Grove in Los Angeles on June 6th; America's Freedom Festival in Provo, UT on July 2-4; the U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte, NC from July 3-4; The Slow Churned SocialLuxe Lounge in New York City on August 2nd; and the Denver County Fair running from August 10-12, 2012.
"For nearly a century, our brand has been on a simple mission to inspire a smile," Jill Shoemaker, Vice President, Marketing, Dreyer's/Edy's Slow Churned said for the press release. "This summer is no exception as we travel across the country, reminding consumers of the delicious taste of our better-for-you ice cream, while working hard to gift 500 cleft surgeries to children in need. From too good to do good, this summer ice cream lovers really can have it all!"
