Carousel’s Cares: The Give That Keeps On Giving
September 22, 2020
While our family-secret soft serve ice is definitely the star of the Carousel’s show, we take a special pride in the behind-the-scenes aspects of our brand, especially our give-back projects that involve and benefit the communities that we so enjoy serving our fruity frozen treats to. Our namesake give-back, Carousel’s Cares, allows us to blend our favorite feelings and company goals—happiness, charity, honesty, togetherness and love—to serve one purpose: warm hearts! It also allows our franchisees to bond with their own communities, and best of all, Carousel’s Cares isn’t a one-shot deal; with this program, we have designed a sustainable business model designed to bringing generosity, support and blessings to every person and organization that joins in.
Carousel’s has always participated in employee appreciation events, in which businesses hire us on special occasions to deliver “thank-you” ices to their hard-working crews. Being around this much giving inspired us to design our own give-back system, one which could both raise money for great causes and allow our franchisees to establish relationships with their communities. So how does it work? Carousel’s Cares is unique in that it is not a zero-sum donation system—meaning a donor gives up money and a recipient gains money. Instead, it is a charitable sales system in which our franchisees partner with local businesses, schools, churches and hospitals to set up visits from our icery trucks, then allow these groups to keep up to 100% of the profits made at the truck visits.
Businesses involved with Carousel’s Cares may follow their hearts and donate these funds to the charitable organization of their choice. Putting these businesses in a position to donate establishes a positive relationship between them and recipients in need, establishing a partnership we hope grows in the future. Schools, churches and hospitals that join Carousel’s Cares may keep the profits for their own good-faith usage, or donate to causes of their choice.
“We cracked the fundraising code by blending entrepreneurship and giving back to the community,” explains Carousel’s founder Corey Curyto. “There’s certainly nothing wrong with write-a-check donation systems, but if you infuse a give-back that benefits everyone involved, within a system that reproduces itself, that’s a real and long-lasting win.”
Recently, as business attendance and event restrictions related to the current pandemic have begun to ease, Carousel’s Cares has mobilized to deliver much needed fun and refreshment to kids and adults alike, in a safe and sanitary way. While most frozen treats are hand scooped for customers by employees, there is no product handling involved in dispensing a Carousel’s ice—our flavored tidal wave of an ice treat swirls directly from our customized soft-serve machine into your cup or cone. Our ice machine also allows us to serve our guests their treats at a rapid pace, ensuring the line at our truck never gets too crowded for social distancing. Best of all, a Carousel’s truck brings an entire boardwalk-style experience along with it, including fun sights, sounds and smells that you may have missed out on this year because of a canceled beach vacation. Close your eyes and all you’ll be missing is the sound of the ocean!
As unique and flavorful as our ices are, we hope years from now to be known for consistently fulfilling one of the most important of our five core values: giving generously. So, what’s next for Carousel’s Cares? The possibilities are endless! We’re looking for partners of all sizes—from emerging small businesses to nationwide corporate brands, an ever-growing list of charitable and faith-based organizations, and hopefully, you too! For further information on getting your company, school or group involved with the Carousel’s Cares program, learn more here. If you’d like, enter your information at the bottom of the page to get in touch with us directly. In the meantime, stay cool, have fun and always remain community-minded!
To make the registration process as smooth as possible, all sign-ups and payments can be done online in less than 2 minutes. After registration, just sit back and chill, we’ll handle all the arrangements for your event. One of our favorite school principals, Jennifer P., explains her school’s experience: “I can’t say enough about our fundraising campaign with Carousel’s! This was the easiest fundraiser ever. I sent out an email and Carousel’s did the rest, including payment and creating a list of everyone who signed up. It wasn’t a hard sell to get kids to sign up, and parents love that it’s non-dairy. The kids loved it and look forward to what they have affectionately nicknamed, ‘Carousel’s Friday!'”
To learn more about Carousel’s Cares, click here!