The Daily Populous Wednesday August 14th, 2024 morning edition
Authored by cbsnews.com and submitted by Upper_Concentrate632

SALEM – A waterfront restaurant in Salem is doing its part to help a Norwood boy after the health department shut down his ice cream stand fundraiser.

Twelve-year-old Dan Doherty was selling homemade ice cream to raise money for his brother's hockey team, the Boston Bear Cubs. The program caters to athletes with special needs. Someone reported his operation to the health department, and they sent him a letter shutting him down.

"I don't understand it. There are so many lemonade stands out there, and they don't get shut down," Dan Doherty said, "It's really disappointing it got shut down."

"Knew we needed to do something"

'We saw that article and knew we needed to do something," responded Matthew Mattera, owner of Longboards Restaurant in Salem, "As a little family ourselves, we always try to set up stands; we're making lemonade stands, making rocks, and trying to sell those. We appreciate small business."

A decade ago, Longboards began as a small variety store and ice cream shop called The Hungry Whale. Mattera said Doherty's story really hit home for them. The restaurant put a donation jar at their host stand and will be donating 25% of the sales of the signature dessert, the Bazookie.

"It's a half-baked cookie baked on a skillet, then we put some ice cream on top, Hershey's syrup, and caramel," smiled Mattera.

While WBZ-TV was there, customers already came in because they heard of Doherty's story. At least one table ordered several Bazookies and donated more to the jar.

"We are happy to help raise some money. We are going to donate that over to him," told Mattera.

Libertechian on August 13rd, 2024 at 15:27 UTC »

Here in Utah the right for children to run small stands like this is enshrined in law. Would love to see that spread elsewhere

MyAccountWasBanned7 on August 13rd, 2024 at 14:17 UTC »

Too many posts here aren't uplifting so much as they're dystopian.

Takaa on August 13rd, 2024 at 13:59 UTC »

Okay health department, I am fairly sure buyers of home made ice cream from a 12 year old on the side of the road know what they are getting into. This is just someone in government needing to feel that power trip because “no one is above the rules.” Waste of everyone’s time.