Cold Stone Creamery Hosts Month-Long Fundraiser to Benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation; Free Ice Cream Cake at the Fourth Annual World’s Largest Ice Cream Cake Social

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--April 5, 2005--Eating dessert has never been so rewarding. This April, nearly 1,000 Cold Stone Creamery locations are gearing up for the World’s Largest Ice Cream Cake Social, an annual nationwide fundraiser which benefits the Make-A-Wish Foundation(R). This year’s Ice Cream Cake Social will take place on Monday, April 25, from 5 to 8 p.m. at all Cold Stone Creamery stores throughout the U.S., Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. A free slice of the newly created Make-A-Wish(R) cake will be given to ice cream aficionados in exchange for a donation to the charity.


Each year, one lucky wish child is selected to be a “Junior Tastemaster” and is given the opportunity to create the unique Make-A-Wish cake. This year’s cake was created by Micah, age 12, from Somerset, Mass. A passionate chocolate lover, Micah’s Make-A-Wish cake consists of chocolate ice cream with cookie dough and chocolate shavings, layered with yellow cake and wrapped in a rich, fudge ganache. Micah’s wish to travel to Hawaii with her family and swim with dolphins was granted in July of 2004.

“Cold Stone Creamery is proud to invite local communities into our stores to help the Make-A-Wish Foundation,” says Doug Ducey, Cold Stone Creamery’s Chairman and CEO. “Through this annual event, we continue our tradition of giving back and helping those in need of hope, strength and joy. All funds raised by the community during the Social, will stay within the community to benefit local children. With nearly 1,000 locations nationwide, we are uniquely positioned to successfully assist with granting numerous heartfelt wishes of children.”

In addition to donations given during the World’s Largest Ice Cream Cake Social, customers will have the opportunity to personalize paper wish stars and post them in the stores with all proceeds benefiting the local chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Each Wish Star is $1 and available for purchase throughout the month of April. Lastly, a portion of all ice cream sales will benefit the Foundation. Typically held in July, the World’s Largest Ice Cream Cake Social was moved to April this year to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Last year, the Third Annual World’s Largest Ice Cream Cake Social resulted in a total donation of $625,374.33 due to the generous contributions of Cold Stone franchisees, employees and ice cream lovers. More than 800 stores participated and the total amount raised was able to grant over 120 heartfelt wishes.

“Thanks to the hard work of Cold Stone Creamery franchisees, staff, and crew members, The World’s Largest Ice Cream Cake Social offers communities around the country an ideal opportunity to come together to share their love of ice cream while at the same time helping make dreams come true for some very special children,” said David A. Williams, President and CEO of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America. “As the Make-A-Wish Foundation celebrates its 25th anniversary this April, we salute and thank Cold Stone Creamery and its customers who help us share the power of a wish(R) through their generous support.”

Ice cream lovers are encouraged to visit their local Cold Stone Creamery on Monday, April 25, to participate in the World’s Largest Ice Cream Cake Social. Visit www.coldstonecreamery.com to find the nearest location.

About the Make-A-Wish Foundation

The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength, and joy. Born in 1980 when a group of caring individuals helped a young boy fulfill his dream of becoming a police officer, the Foundation is now the largest wish-granting charity in the world, with 74 chapters in the U.S. and its territories and 28 international affiliates on five continents. Granting more than 11,500 wishes a year and 127,000 wishes worldwide since inception, the Make-A-Wish Foundation celebrates “25 Years of Making Dreams Come True” in 2005. For more information about the Make-A-Wish Foundation, visit www.wish.org.

About Cold Stone Creamery

Cold Stone Creamery delivers The Ultimate Ice Cream Experience(R), which is carried through by a community of franchisees passionate about ice cream. The secret recipe for smooth and creamy ice cream is handcrafted fresh daily in each store, and then customized by combining a variety of mix-ins on a frozen granite stone. With nearly 1,000 stores from coast to coast, Cold Stone Creamery currently operates in 47 states including Alaska, Hawaii, the Caribbean and Guam. Cold Stone Creamery is an independently owned franchise system, headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz. For more information about Cold Stone Creamery, visit the company’s Web site at www.coldstonecreamery.com.

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Jami Thompson

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Cold Stone Creamery

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