'Vice Cream' Is An Indulgent Way To Give Back To Cancer Research
Self-proclaimed fanatic and former Good Humor ice cream truck man Dan Schorr had a vision to create a new, decadent ice cream that would appeal to the young and young at heart. But just weeks after making this decision, he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of lymphoma and was told that, without treatment, he would have 12 weeks to live. That's when he decided he would not just live his life, he would indulge in it — and let others indulge in life too with a new ice cream brand, Vice Cream.
"In this day and age of 'better for you' eating, we have this unique and authentic voice encouraging people to indulge in life," Schorr told The Daily Meal.
Today, Schorr is cancer-free and his ice cream dreams have been realized with Vice Cream, which launched in 2016. The brand is being sold nationally in more than 5,000 stores, and through the brand's "Nice Vice" program, they partner with cancer institutes nationwide and donate to support the cause.
Vice Cream's ice cream doesn't just taste indulgent, the names of flavors are rich, too. Playful flavors include Breakfast in Bed (maple ice cream with chunks of sticky bun dough, pecan praline and a touch of cream cheese frosting); Afternoon Delight (vanilla ice cream with chunks of cookie dough, salted caramel truffles and swirls of chocolate fudge and caramel); and Higher Grounds (dark roast coffee ice cream with swirls of mocha fudge, crunchy chocolate cookie crumbles and espresso). Unlike some of their competitors, Vice Cream keeps their choices limited to make it easier to pick which wild ice cream flavor you want to snack on.
"Since humor and bringing smiles to people — especially to cancer patients and their families — is central to our mission, we wanted our flavor names to not be too serious and most importantly to make people laugh," Schorr said. "Often times, I'll come up with a name that I think is really fun like Breakfast in Bed and I'll work with our culinary team to translate that into a flavor. For Breakfast in Bed, we did a play on what ice cream for breakfast would actually look like."
Sweetest of all, though, is it the special focus on supporting cancer patients through donations and partnerships with cancer institutes across the country such as the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Masonic Cancer Center in Minneapolis and Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa.
"It's a central part of our mission to give back to cancer institutes through our Pints with a Purpose program, and we've donated over $25,000 to benefit cancer research institutes to date," Schorr said. "But it's not just about the monetary donation for us. What we call cream-o-therapy involves giving our time and Vice Cream pints to cancer patients, families and hospital staff, so that we can bring smiles and happiness to their faces."
Vice Cream isn't just a vice, it's a new way at approaching ice cream in a time when many people try to turn this indulgent treat into a health food. You can feel good about the experience of eating ice cream and know that it's all for a good cause. We think you should always feel good about eating ice cream — and in case you can't find Vice Cream in a store near you, here's how to find the best ice cream stand in your state.