USO South Carolina Boosts Morale, Serves Ice Cream for Breakfast to U.S. Coast Guard Sector Charleston

Although National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day is held the first Saturday in February, this did not stop USO South Carolina from serving up delicious ice cream a week early to U.S. Coast Guard Members at Sector Charleston, S.C.

On the morning of Feb. 1, 2021, from 9-11 a.m., a team of motivated staff and volunteers from USO South Carolina braved the cold and rain to serve over 10 gallons of ice cream to 300 Coast Guard members as part of an early celebration of National Ice Cream for Breakfast day.

According to nationaldaycalendar.com, National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day started in the 1960’s by Florence Rappaport of New York, who created Ice Cream for Breakfast Day as a way to chase away cabin fever for her six children due to a winter storm that had blown through the area. Since then, this annual tradition is observed all around the world to include Canada, New Zealand, England, South Africa and other parts of the globe.

Given the current circumstance of COVID-19, and with most people experiencing their own form of cabin fever, offering U.S. Coast Guardsmen ice cream for breakfast was a grand idea for USO South Carolina.

Wearing their food service gloves and face masks, the USO South Carolina team safely prepared ice cream sundaes for the Coast Guardsmen during their break in training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Charleston, S.C. The Coast Guardsmen had the traditional flavors of ice cream flavors to choose from; chocolate, vanilla or strawberry, to include fudge, strawberry, and caramel syrup as well as a variety of candy toppings.

“It may have been cold and dreary outside, but ice cream made everyone happy [this day]! We’re grateful to our donors who made possible for this fun event,” said USO South Carolina Executive Director, Joanie Thresher.

When the U.S. Coast Guard members at Sector Charleston first caught wind that USO South Carolina was going to serve them ice cream for breakfast, they were in disbelief.

“At first, we thought this was a joke, but when we saw [the USO] pull up we were so excited,” said a U.S. Coast Guardsmen who enjoyed ice cream for breakfast.

“We looked up [online] to see if National Ice Cream for Breakfast is a real day, and now that we know, we’re celebrating again this weekend,” added another U.S. Coast Guardsmen as he excitedly asked for gummy bears to be sprinkled on his ice cream sundae.

Throughout a service member’s military journey, it is often the little things that brightens his or her day, and National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day did just that for these Coast Guardsmen.

“What a great boost for our morale! It does not get any better than ice cream for breakfast,” said an additional U.S. Coast Guardsmen.

The gallons of ice cream with all the toppings including gummy bears, M&M’s, whip cream, caramel and cherries, were graciously provided by McAngus Goudelock and Courie (MGC), a regional insurance defense law firm headquartered in Columbia, S.C., and founders of the annual MGC Long Run.

The MGC Long Run is a 15k and 5k race held in Columbia, S.C., each year. Since 2015, the MGC Long Run has raised over $158,000 in donations for USO South Carolina in support of our military service members and their families.

Given the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, the MGC Long Run had to make the tough decision to cancel the 2021 MGC Long Run. The race was originally scheduled for February 6, 2021, but the decision to cancel the race was in the best interest of the race participants and local community.

“Although our annual run had to be canceled this year due to the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, we remain committed to supporting USO South Carolina and our service members and their families in the meaningful sacrifices they make each day on behalf of our nation,” said Rusty Goudelock, one of MGC’s founding members.

• Sarah Kemp and Katie Kennedy contributed to this article