Free cone day combines charity and ice cream

Free Cone Day at Ben and Jerry’s may be all about the sweet tooth for some, but for others it’s an opportunity to make donations to the international medical humanitarian organization Médecins Sans Frontières, or Doctors Without Borders.

From noon to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Ben and Jerry’s will give away between 10 and 15 flavors of ice cream — including Cherry Garcia, Phish Food and Chocolate Fudge Brownie — and will accept donations for Doctors Without Borders.

The organization aims to help “people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe” in almost 60 countries, according to its website.

Ben and Jerry’s “will match the amount of donations with a check” and send it to the general fund of the U.S. chapter of Doctors Without Borders, according to Jason Gordon, owner of the Ben and Jerry’s located at 218 S. 40th St.

“It’s a good organization,” Gordon said of DWB, “whether it’s helping Haiti, Sudan or Chile.”

Gordon stressed, however, that “this is not about Haiti, per se,” since his interest in working with the organization preceded DWB’s involvement in the country.

DWB has an emergency relief fund so that when a disaster occurs, the organization is able to react quickly.

According to its website, DWB’s U.S. funding is completely provided by “private sources,” which allows the organization to operate without government aid and still provide quality medical care.

With regard to other philanthropic efforts, Gordon said Ben and Jerry’s outreach to Philadelphia began before its relationship with DWB.

“We’re more than just ice cream. The brand is built on 30 years of being involved in the community and the world,” he said.

In previous years, Ben and Jerry’s collected donations for other causes, including the construction of playgrounds and Stand Up For Kids, an organization that helps homeless children in cities nationwide.

In support of the Vermont same-sex marriage law last year, Ben and Jerry’s changed the name of its ice cream flavor Chubby Hubby to Hubby Hubby, and on Free Cone Day gave out about 7,000 free ice cream cones.

“This is the one day a year where we get to say thank you to our customers,” Gordon said.

Wharton senior and exchange student Ellie Psarra said she thinks the donations at the ice-cream shop are a good idea and that she “would probably donate as much as the ice cream would have cost.”

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