The Mirror Newspapers Reflecting Life Along The Maumee River
BY KRISTI FISH | MIRROR REPORTER — Five hundred Maumee kids will receive free ice cream cones thanks to the Maumee Police Division, Penguin Palace and Appliance Center.
Several years ago, the police started handing out coupons from Penguin Palace to kids in the area who were observed wearing their bike helmets or doing good deeds. Like a lot of things over the past few years, however, the practice stopped.
“Once COVID hit, it brought human interaction to a halt,” said Penguin Palace owner Chad Buck. “Now that it’s all starting to decrease, we can bring it back.”
When Chad and his wife Amy were approached by John Fulton of Appliance Center, they knew it was a nice way to help the community, so they said yes.
“When I called and talked to Chad and Amy about it, there was not even a second of hesitation. They said, ‘That’s a great idea!’” Fulton recounted.
Appliance Center then prepaid for the cones and printed out small cards to present to the police. There are no contingencies; the officers are free to give the cards to kids for whatever reason they see fit.
“It’s a community thing to try and be positive and give the police officers another tool to build good community wealth,” Fulton said.
The groups hope the 500 certificates will offer a chance for meaningful engagement in the community and a chance to provide a small gift for the kids playing outside this summer.
“I think it’s good for the kids and good for the police to be out interacting with the kids, too,” Chad said.
