Blogging the Yum

For 30 years, the Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl has hosted the nation’s largest all-you-can-eat ice cream festival.  Spanning three days, Boston’s City Hall Plaza is taken over by vendors scooping 20 tons of ice cream to nearly 60,000 ice cream lovers.  And it’s not just for the love of ice cream and gelato – The Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute are focused on improving the chances of survival for cancer patients around the world.  Since 1948, the Jimmy Fund has been dedicated to raising money for research and supporting millions of children and adults in the fight against cancer.

Once again, Ciao Bella had the pleasure of participating in this charitable event. This “unofficial start of summer” was greeted by chilly, wet, and stormy weather but nothing could keep these Boston ice-cream lovers away! Thousands of devotees lined up to enter the festival bearing umbrellas, raincoats and sweatshirts.  As more and more people entered Ciao Bella scooped endless amounts of gelato and sorbet. It was nearly impossible to keep up!

Patrons young and old marveled at their favorite childhood confections in ‘gelato form’.  Those who grew up on strawberry ice cream or malt shakes fell in love with our Strawberry Gelatoand Malted Milk Ball Gelato.  Once the weather warmed up, no one could pass up last years “favorite flavor” Mango Sorbet. Fans went wild for the tropical fruit sensation of our Passion Fruit Sorbet, some of them coming back for seconds, thirds…tenths!

Called it quits after 50 scoops. His last 10 were Passion Fruit!

Thanks to all those Bostonians and gelato enthusiasts, the Scooper Bowl raised more than $335,000 for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund! The event overcame over every curve ball Mother Nature threw, provided tons of entertainment, and continued awareness for cancer research! Ciao Bella cannot wait to go back next year!