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DQ’s Miracle Treat Day coming next Thursday

August 3, 2017   ·   0 Comments

By Mike Pickford

For most of us, there’s still plenty of time until the stress, panic and excitement of Christmas takes over, but, for a select few Orangeville and area residents, that time is now as our local Dairy Queen prepares for its hugely popular Miracle Treat Day.

Described by Orangeville franchisee John Lockyer simply as “Dairy Queen Christmas”, the annual fundraiser has become a summertime staple for the community, drawing in thousands of locals each year as they each seek to satisfy their sweet tooth in the name of charity.

Now in its 15th year in Orangeville, the local Miracle Treat Day has generated more than $450,000 for The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.

“This year we’re hoping to finally push past that $500,000 mark,” Mr. Lockyer told the Citizen this week. “This is such an unbelievably worthwhile cause. The local community here in Orangeville has always supported us in our attempts to create a better life for these kids who spend so much time in the hospital. This is something that really means a lot to us and is very close to our hearts.”

That statement is evident in the way that Mr. Lockyer approaches this event every year. While most of the nation’s participating franchises opt to donate the net proceeds from every Blizzard sold to Children’s Miracle Network – the organization committed to raising funds for 170 children’s hospitals across the globe, 14 of which are in Canada – the Orangeville DQ does one better.

“This is for charity, so absolutely everything we bring in that day through selling Blizzards goes to charity,” Mr. Lockyer said. “We choose to donate the entire price of a Blizzard on that day, this isn’t just a proceeds deal… If someone comes in and pays $3.99 for a Blizzard, then we donate $3.99 to Sick Kids. For one day we suck up all the labour and food costs and donate everything we receive.”

In 2015 the Orangeville store was recognized for having raised more money than any other franchise in Eastern Canada, and last year the store raked in an unprecedented $57,000. Not content with that however, Mr. Lockyer is hoping to push the boundaries just a little further this time around, setting his sights on breaching the $60,000 mark.

Taking place next Thursday, August 10, Miracle Treat Day will feature several ‘celebrity’ guests, with several local dignitaries and athletes penciled in to put on an apron and help serve Blizzards to eager customers. A number of child ambassadors will also be on hand over the course of the day, sharing their own personal stories about how SickKids hospital helped them be where they are today.

Since Dairy Queen’s partnership with Children’s Miracle Network began back in 1984, the organization has raised more than $125 million in support of sick and injured children across North America. According to Children’s Miracle Network, almost 5,000 children enter its affiliated hospitals for treatment every day. For some local perspective, SickKids managed 31,424 clinic visits of patients from Peel region in 2016 alone.

“The reason Miracle Treat Day is so important to me is because I know and realize that our government does not pay for equipment in any hospital, so the only way we can get all the new, up-to-date machines in our facilities, specifically ones like SickKids, is through public donation,” Mr. Lockyer said.

He added, “Hospitals, at one point or another, touch every single person in our community. If you have a child, know a child or are a relative of a child who has had some health issues in their life, you know they go to SickKids. We’re lucky to have a world-class hospital right on our doorstep. It’s important then, I feel, that we do whatever we can to ensure that facility has what it requires to help those in need.”

Miracle Treat Day will run in Orangeville from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Stop by at any time throughout the day to enjoy a blizzard. Mr. Lockyer says wait times will be managed as effectively as possible. To pre-order your blizzard or to purchase pre-order coupons, visit the local store, located at 540 Riddell Road. For more information, visit www.miracletreatday.com.


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