bright futures
COMMUNITY
Kona Ice keeps customers cool while helping the community
words & photos by TERRY RICHARDS
Kona Ice franchisees Russell and Brenda Hassenstab and employee Lexie Player ( in the truck ) were working at a fundraiser in the Sam ’ s Club parking lot in June .
Five-year-old Anthony Mendoza approached the food truck with his mother , Shelly Mendoza , in tow .
The large , colorfully-decorated truck had tropical cartoon characters all over it . It was parked in a corner of the Sam ’ s Club parking lot on Norman Drive . On a June day that was warm and getting warmer , Anthony was getting a shaved ice cone .
The truck was part of the Kona Ice fleet , and employee Lexie Player handed Shelly a cone of plain shaved ice , which she handed to her son .
On the truck ’ s exterior , in an alcove about toddler-high , were 10 self-serve syrup flavor taps . Which flavor would Anthony choose ? Blue Raspberry ? Ninja Cherry ? Monster Mango ? Or Pina Colada ?
In the end , the boy compromised — some of all four . He walked away with a rainbow of flavors , each soaking a different quarter of the ice mound .
10 Valdosta Scene | September 2023