A chilly tradition in Cranford turned into a fundraiser this weekend as a snow sculptor created an outdoor ice cream truck for a good cause. Snow sculptor Robert Schott estimated he packed five tons of snow into a replica Good Humor truck.

He sold treats from it Friday and Saturday night, with proceeds benefiting Children’s Specialized Hospital in Mountainside. Schott says hundreds of ice cream sales helped raise more than $4,500.

The cause is important to Schott’s father, Joe, who turns 104 on Thursday and volunteered at the hospital. “It means a lot to me, because I did have a little connection with Children’s Hospital back in the 1960s and 70s,” Joe Schott said.

“These are children who have real challenges in their physical lives, and we were able to accommodate them with joyful imagery with the hat,” Robert Schott said. “You could feel there was some inner sense of happiness coming for the children and the families.”