Free Cone Day at Dairy Queen 2017

Like we all need an excuse to go get ice cream…

Dairy Queen’s annual FREE Cone Day is coming up tomorrow — Monday, March 20, 2017. This event happens nationwide and serves as a fundraiser for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. The donation dollar amount you give is completely up to you.

Since 1984, Dairy Queen restaurants across the United States have raised more than $100 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

For my local readers, Southeast Michigan Dairy Queen location donations will benefit Beaumont Children’s Hospital. All money raised will stay in Michigan and benefit Beaumont’s programs and services for children.

Participating Michigan locations include:

Algonac – 1307 St. Clair River Drive Ann Arbor – 2430 W Stadium Auburn Hills – 3053 Walton Blvd Bloomfield Twp – 6622 Telegraph Brighton – 321 W. Grand River Ave Burton – 4145 S. Saginaw Burton – 2444 S. Center Cadillac – 901 S. Mitchell Canton – 266 N. Canton Center Rd Charlotte – 407 S. Cochran Cheboygan – 117 North Main Clinton Township – 42345 Garfield Rd Commerce Township – 1599 Union Lake Rd Detroit – 24671 Grand River East China – 1980 River Rd East Tawas – 118 W. Bay St Farmington – 22290 Middlebelt Farmington – 33326 12 Mile Rd Farmington – 34414 8 Mile Rd Flat Rock – 28918 Telegraph Fraser – 34513 Utica Rd Garden City – 28825 Ford Rd Gibraltar – 30030 S. Gilbraltar Grand Blanc – 2251 Hill Rd Greenville – 1015 W. Washington Harrison – 3187 N. Clare Ave Hartland – 10490 Highland Rd (M-59) Highland – 2330 S. Milford Rd Holly – 1120 N Saginaw

Indian River- 3808 S. Straits Keego Harbor – 2886 Orchard Lake Rd Lapeer – 888 S. Main St. Lincoln Park – 2356 Dix Hwy Madison Heights – 29371 Dequindre Rd Marine City – 236 Fairbanks Midland – 917 S Saginaw Rd Mt Clemens – 353 Gratiot Ave Novi – 41490 Grand River Pontiac – 1525 Baldwin Rd Richmond – 68020 Main St Rochester – 743 N. Main St Romeo – 268 S. Main Roseville – 29580 Gratiot Royal Oak – 3201 Rochester Rd Shelby Township – 54804 Shelby South Lyon – 22253 Pontiac Trail Utica – 45814 Van Dyke Ave Walled Lake – 551 N Pontiac Trail Warren – 26633 Hoover Rd Warren – 23515 Ryan Rd Waterford – 4683 Dixie Hwy Waterford – 5608 Highland Rd Wayne – 3007 Wayne Road S West Bloomfield – 6931 Orchard Lake Rd White Lake – 10531 Highland Rd Wixom – 49062 Pontiac Trail Ypsilanti – 101 E Michigan Ave

To make your donation more meaningful, here is a profile of a Beaumont family and how these small donations can add up to make a big difference for families who need the hospital’s services:

Laura went into labor at 23 weeks and 6 days and gave birth to triplets, Stella, Lillian and Charlie who were only 9 inches long and 1.5 pounds with only a 10% chance of survival.

Three days later, one of the NICU doctors told them one or more of the babies wouldn’t make it through the night. One of the nurses prayed with them that night, it showed how much the nurses cared about saving the babies.

Charlie was struggling with his digestive system and Dr. Nathan Novotny was going to do a procedure to try to save Charlie. The next evening, Dr. Novotny came in on his own to check on him even though he wasn’t on call. The surgery didn’t help Charlie and they took Charlie off of life support on the morning of July 20th , which was the first time they got to hold their son.

Laura and Graham were given a box of mementos, a Bereavement Box partly funded by CMN, to remember Charlie. Later on, they put on a concert in Charlie’s honor to help support the NICU and raised over $15,000 in five weeks. Now there are two brand new blanket warmers in the NICU honoring Charlie.

After Charlie’s passing, the girls were still fighting and spent the next 130 days in the NICU with multiple eye surgeries, battles with lung disease, many moments where lifesaving CPR was needed and more.

In November, Lily and Stella were able to come home on oxygen and heart monitors with both of them being over 7 pounds.

In April of 2016, Stella became very sick with pneumonia, which can be fatal to babies with their history, and had an emergency surgery for an obstructed bowel. She spent 24 days in the PICU, where they almost lost her on multiple occasions. The doctors and nurses saved Stella’s life, and they had so many visits from NICU staff on multiple occasions while they were in the PICU.

Today, the girls like Little Einsteins shows, books, their Fisher Price house, The “Itsy Bitsy Spider” and the “Wheels on the Bus” and swinging. Stella loves her speedy walker and her pacifier, while Lillian loves her baby doll.

What flavor cone will you be ordering? I’m a twist girl myself!