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Fourteen Foods Dairy Queen Stores Bring Ice Cream and Smiles to Children’s Hospital

A Sweet Wednesday Afternoon

For patients and families at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, one of the most common sounds to hear is a knock on the door. Sometimes it’s a nurse dropping by to take vitals, a doctor coming in to discuss treatment plans, or a volunteer visiting with the movie cart. This past Wednesday, families that heard a knock on their door were greeting with a new, exciting surprise – Dilly Bars from Dairy Queen!

Leadership from local Fourteen Foods Dairy Queen stores had a meeting Wednesday morning, and they decided the best way to wrap up the meeting was to do what they do best – make people smile. After their meeting, they headed over to Children’s Hospital with coolers full of Dilly Bars to pass out to patients, families, and staff.  They traveled through the hospital, knocking on doors and visiting nursing stations armed with a variety of ice cream options. No matter which treat was chosen, each interaction ended with excitement and a happy face.

A History of Giving Back

Dairy Queen is no stranger to supporting the kids. Each year, local Fourteen Foods Dairy Queen stores participate in two days of fundraising. They host Free Cone Day in the spring and Miracle Treat Day in the summer. On these days, they use their sweet treats as an opportunity to raise funds for East Tennessee Children’s Hospital and support the kids in our community. All funds raised on those days come straight back to our hospital to fund new and updated equipment. In 2018, our Dairy Queen stores raised over $9,000 through their efforts. Since 1985, Dairy Queen stores have donated over $295,000 to East Tennessee Children’s Hospital.

Each year, our Fourteen Foods Dairy Queen stores have worked to increase their support of Children’s Hospital. They want to impact as many patients and families as they can. If the smiles seen throughout the hospital Wednesday were any indication, then they have certainly done just that. Thank you to Fourteen Foods and Dairy Queen for filling our hospital with joy this week, and for all that you do to support East Tennessee Children’s Hospital.