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Health officials in Massachusetts shuttered a 12-year-old boy’s ice cream stand after telling the youngster’s family that his entrepreneurial efforts were against state code.
Earlier this summer, Danny Doherty found himself bored and wanting a job, his mom Nancy told Boston 25 News, so he decided to make ice cream to sell.
His mother says she approved of his choice but said he had to donate half of his profits from his stand to charity.
Danny chose the Boston Bear Cubs. His 15-year-old brother, who is autistic and has moderate support needs, has played for the team for 10 years.
He decided to create a logo for the ice cream stand under the name “Tree Street Treats.”
After just a few days in business, the Norwood Health Department in Massachusetts sent the family a letter ordering them to shut down the stand. A complaint filed with the department led to the cease and desist notice.
The boy told NBC Boston the move was “disappointing.”
“I just wanted to raise money for my brother and I couldn’t do it anymore,” he told NBC10 Boston.
His mother echoed his sentiments.
“I was more disappointed and kind of shocked that somebody thought this was something worth complaining about, a little ice cream stand serving 20 people that we know,” she said.
Nancy, a single mother, said she didn’t have the energy to take on the government agency. The family decided to give away the rest of the ice cream, which included vanilla, shaved chocolate with cannoli and New England fluffernutter flavors.
In the end, news of the shutdown spurred action within the community to raise money for the team, resulting in more than $7,000 in donations.
One person even left an envelope full of cash for the team in Nancy’s mailbox.
“Since the story blew up in the news, we have been overwhelmed,” John Quill, a coach for the team, told Boston.com. Quill started the team 19 years ago while looking for a hockey team for his son who suffers from autism.
He reached out to the American Special Hockey Association, which asked him to start a team in the Boston area. The group meets on Saturdays to do a mix of drills and scrimmages against other local high school teams.
Another ice cream shop called Furlong’s Candies in Norwood took up the cause after Danny’s stand got shut down. The store held an event last weekend called “The Ice Cream Karen Social” to raise money for the team, bringing in another $3,600 in just two hours.
“I am in awe of how much good has grown out of a really disappointing and discouraging situation,” Nancy wrote on Facebook.
“Thank you to all the kind people out there. Never forget that you absolutely outnumber the Karens.”
The group is still accepting donations on their website.
