12-Year-Old Boy's Charity Ice Cream Stand Gets Shut Down by Town. Then Community Helps Him Raise $20K
"We had so many people show up to support us," said Danny Doherty's mom
Steven Senne/AP
Danny Doherty, 12, of Norwood, Mass., stands for a photograph Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024, in front of his home in Norwood, while holding a letter from the Town of Norwood Board of Health advising his family that they may not sell homemade ice cream at an ice cream stand near their home.A 12-year-old boy's ice cream stand was shut down while he was attempting to raise money for his brother’s hockey team. Now, about $20,000 has been raised for the club thanks to members of the community.
Danny Doherty, of Norwood, spent several days selling homemade ice cream this summer before his family received a letter from the town’s Board of Health, which stated that the stand violated the Massachusetts Food Code, according to the Associated Press and Fox News.
In the letter dated Aug. 5, and shared by FOX News, officials said they “received a complaint” about the operations on the family’s property, and ordered it to shut down as the "sale of ice cream made in the home" was prohibited, per the code.
“I was shocked and upset,” Danny told the AP.
The boy planned to donate half of his earnings to the Boston Bear Cubs, a local hockey program for young adults with disabilities, which his brother is a member of, according to FOX affiliate WFXT.
Danny's 15-year-old brother Patrick, who has autism, has been on the team since he was 5, according to Fox News.
In an effort to not let the ice cream go to waste, the family decided to give away the rest of what they had made, while simultaneously accepting more donations for the hockey team, according to FOX News.
"We had so many people show up to support us, and we ran out of our ice cream in 10 minutes, but we raised about $1,000," said Danny’s mother, Nancy Doherty.
As word spread, the community kept stepping up to show their support, including Furlong’s Candies of Norwood and Boston radio station WWBX-FM, which teamed up for a fundraiser that raised thousands according to the AP and WFXT.
Nancy Thrasher, co-owner of Furlong’s, said her “heart broke” for Danny after learning about what happened. “He was just trying to do good for his brother’s team,” she told the AP.
Thanks to the generosity of his community, about $20,000 has now been raised for the Boston Bear Cubs, per the AP.
Bear Cubs manager John Quill told WFXT the funds will help allow them to give breaks on tuition and more. “It’s our 20th anniversary season,” he added, “So, I hope we can order special jerseys.”
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In the wake of what happened, some town officials say they've received hate mail and death threats, according to the AP, which also reported that several complaints were lodged against them.
Town manager Tony Mazzucco said there was a “legitimate health concern” with the stand due to possible listeria or other bacterial contamination. He claimed it was the “first time in recent memory” that a stand was shut down, as laws do allow for lemonade stands and bake sales to operate.
The Norwood Board of Health did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
Related: Man Finds 10-Year-Old Boy's Missing Locket Containing Mom's Ashes: 'Failure Was Not an Option'
As for Danny told WFXT, this has been a big lesson in overcoming adversity.
“In the face of adversity, think a little differently and see what you can do," she said. "If you run into a mountain, maybe you can make it into a mole hill.”
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