The MN Nice Cream truck will be on campus Nov. 12. Specialized Tommie cones will be for sale for $5. (Photo courtesy of Ariene Willkom)
The Impact Project is bringing the MN Nice Cream truck to St. Thomas for the first time Tuesday, Nov. 12 to raise money for the Mental Health Resource Fund on campus.
The MN Nice Cream Truck will be outside the arches from 4-6 p.m. Tuesday selling custom-made Tommie cones for $5, as well as specialized St. Thomas ice cream.
The Swing Dance club will also be dancing by the truck from 4-4:30 p.m.
“Our goal isn’t just to dance within our club; it’s to anyone who is there who wants to learn anything about Swing Dance, as well as when people are walking by have them go ‘hey what’s that’ as they come over initiate that discussion about mental health,” said junior Ethan Lynch, who is apart of the Swing Dance Club and the Impact Project.
Before the ice cream truck arrives, students can spend $5 for five minutes with puppies at Pen O’ Puppies from 11:45-1:15 p.m. on the Lower Level of OSF Library.
Every year the Impact Project comes up with a new idea to focus on and raise money for on campus.
The Impact Project is selling knit hats. All proceeds will go to the Mental Health Resource Fund on campus. (Rae Beaner/TommieMedia).
This year, the money will be used for various initiatives in the Mental Health Resource Center, which helps the Center for Well-Being. Last year, the Impact Project raised awareness for sustainability.
“The Impact Project is a student group on campus… every year we focus on an area on campus that students can make an impact,” said Ariene Willkom, Impact Project adviser and assistant director of Alumni Giving.
The funds raised by the Impact Project will go toward Pathways to a Better You, an interactive workshop that focuses on practicing self-care, coping with feelings and living by personal values.
The Impact Project funds will also support group counseling services and Let’s Talk where students can meet with professional staff from Counseling and Psychological Services.
The Impact Project is also selling knit hats for $20. All proceeds from Tuesday’s events will support mental health resources at St. Thomas.
“I’m hoping the visibility of the truck under the arches will still draw people,” Willkom said.
Even though the weather will be chilly for ice cream, Willkom is staying positive. “Maybe people will buy more hats.”
Rae Beaner can be reached at rnbeaner696@stkate.edu.