Cranford resident builds ice cream truck out of snow, raises thousands for charity
The detailed snow sculpture is the scoop around town, and it’s making a difference.
More Stories
Cranford’s Robert Schott has been snow sculpting for decades. This year’s haul got him thinking big.
“The enjoyment starts the day I step out here," Schott said.
After 30 hours - and five tons of snow - the payoff came in a replica Good Humor truck. Schott bought hundreds of Good Humor bars to sell to neighborhood visitors, with proceeds benefiting RWJBarnabas Children's Specialized Hospital in Mountainside.
Schott says he’s raised more than $5,000.
“This moment will be embedded in their mind," Schott said. "They’ll never forget. This will never happen again like it’s happening.”
He decided to donate to Children's Specialized Hospital because his soon-to-be 104-year-old father, Joe, had volunteered there in the 1960s and '70s.
“I am a great believer in volunteerism," said Joe Schott. "I’d go there one evening a week to entertain the kids. Playing checkers, which I always let them win, mostly.”
The community spirit continues decades later. Although the ice cream supply is running low, Schott is hoping his snow truck on Springfield Avenue will make it through the week as temperatures rise above 40.
“A lot of people just gave us 10s or 20s, 50s or 100s," said Robert Schott, who charges $5 for a treat. "Really, some very generous people.”
