National Ice Cream Day: Oregon dairies urge you to ‘Scoop it Forward’

Sunday is National Ice Cream Day, which also kicks off a celebration of appreciation called “Scoop It Forward.” Supported by Oregon’s dairy farmers and processors, the week-long campaign, from July 15 to 22, encourages people to show appreciation for one another through random acts of ice cream.

Ice cream is one of those things that just makes everything better, and we saw this as a simple way to bring positivity and joy to people’s lives in surprising and unexpected ways,” said Josh Thomas, Senior Director of Communications for the Oregon Dairy and Nutrition Council. “Random acts of kindness can be contagious, and our call to action is simply for people to spread the good and pay it forward.”

Leading up to this week, there have already been surprise ice cream deliveries to a playground, a skate park, a police station and Pioneer Courthouse Square in downtown Portland. And that’s just the beginning. Each person who receives ice cream is encouraged to recognize at least two others with a special delivery of their own.

Suggestions include recognizing family, friends, neighbors, a favorite teacher, local police or fire departments or even complete strangers. Photos and video from these moments will be shared on social media using the hashtag #ScoopItForward. Those who aren’t able to give ice cream are encouraged to send ice cream emojis with a message of appreciation. Organizers hope the positivity will spread far and wide.

“This is such a simple gesture that anybody can do,” said Thomas. “You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy ice cream, and that’s pretty close”

Oregon ice cream brands include:

Alden’s Organic Alpenrose Cascade Glacier Eberhards Julie’s Organic Lochmead Ruby Jewel Salt and Straw Sunshine Tillamook Upstar Umpqua YoCream