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Mork strives for successful Miracle Treat Day
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By ELISA SAND, Staff Reporter
| 08/11/2009 |
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DeLon Mork, owner of Dairy Queen in Madison, continues to be amazed by the community support that has been generated for Miracle Treat Day.
Now in its fourth year, customers have purchased more Blizzards from Madison's Dairy Queen than any other location in the state or nation.
In 2008, 12,347 Blizzards were sold in Madison and almost 34,000 blizzards were sold in the entire state. Mork said that sales in Madison were quadruple the next highest branch location.
Mork said the success of the day is the direct result of the 100 percent community endorsement and employee enthusiasm of the event, which has generated sales of more than 23,000 Blizzards over the last three years in Madison.
The day has, indeed, become an event.
Dairy Queen opens at 10 a.m., but pre-sales at local businesses have already begun for Thursday's Miracle Treat Day.
"Pre-orders have gone extremely well and are on track with sales from last year," Mork said. "I've been pleasantly surprised."
Mork recently visited nine businesses in Howard, all of which agreed to participate, and pre-orders are being taken during Miner County Achievement Days on Tuesday (today) for delivery on Wednesday.
Anonymous donations have helped provide Blizzards for those otherwise unable to participate.
"It's humbling to see people buy into it," Mork said.
Not knowing much about the event three years ago, Mork said that his goal then was to get out there and make the event as big as he possibly could.
"It has continued to gain momentum every year," he said. This year, his goal is simply to make the day as big as it possibly can be.
"We want to do the very best we can," he said. "Everything goes to the children's hospital."
Local families who have benefitted from Children's Miracle Network will be on site Thursday, as will representatives from CMN. Dairy Queen Chief Brand Officer Michael Keller will be on here, and so will CMN's Brad Lake, the son of CMN founder Joe Lake, who visited Madison in 2008.
"DQ is very proud of what Madison has accomplished," Mork said.
Thursday evening will feature children's games from 5-9 p.m. on Harth Avenue between Dairy Queen and Trinity Lutheran Church (which will be closed to traffic that evening). Games will include inflatables, games and face painting provided by volunteers from Madison United Methodist Church and Trinity.
Mork said that Trinity is also making its bathroom facilities available that evening and indicated that the support of both churches "has been out of sight."
As has the support from city officials, he said. Madison police will be on hand for traffic control, and Madison firemen have stepped forward to volunteer their time wherever needed.
The city has provided barracades, garbage cans, tables and chairs; the fire department will have a truck on site to display a Miracle Treat Day banner.
Musical entertainment will take place in the parking lot of the Methodist church. Entertainment includes Richard Wolf and accompaniment at 5:30 p.m., followed by Andy Gibson. Closing the evening at 9 p.m. will be Greg Hanson.
The featured entertainer from 7-9 p.m. will be Nathan Osmond, a second-generation Osmond who is performing in Madison in appreciation of last year's accomplishments.
Community members who come to hear the music should bring chairs or blankets.
As always, coupons are also for sale; some coupons available are redeemable just at Madison's DQ, while others are available at any DQ in South Dakota. Coupons can be purchased any time to go toward Thursday's total sales and are redeemable starting Friday.
Activities at the local Dairy Queen will also stream live on the Internet at www.madisonsd.com. Mork said that feature is thanks to CommissionSoup, which has also stepped forward to help organize sales.
Mork said CommissionSoup owner Darin Namken assigned one of his employees the task of creating a software package that has helped with the organization of pre-orders.
"The program allows a sales count to be generated at any given time," Mork said. "It's a huge time-saver."
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