Ice Cream Shop Offers Free Scoop to Patriotic Kids
A beloved Savannah ice cream parlor is once again encouraging children to brush up on their civics — one scoop at a time.
For the past 16 years, Leopold’s Ice Cream has invited children to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in exchange for a free ice cream cone through its annual I Pledge Project, held each Monday during July, which President Ronald Reagan designated as National Ice Cream Month.
The idea, according to Leopold’s owner Stratton Leopold, came from a local educator concerned that children were no longer receiving the same civics education previous generations enjoyed. Watch his interview on The Todd Starnes Show below and click here to get Todd’s breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox.
“An educator gave us the idea 16 years ago,” Leopold said during an interview on The Todd Starnes Show. “My first thought was, ‘Yeah, let’s do it, let’s do it.’… She said that civics was not being taught as much. So we decided then, 16 years ago, to form the Ice Pledge Project.”
Leopold said the family has long valued military service.
“My dad served in World War I. So we’ve always been involved with military,” he said.
The campaign has since grown beyond Savannah. Leopold created IPledgeForIceCream.com, a free resource that allows ice cream shops nationwide to participate.
This year alone, Leopold said 123 children participated during one Monday afternoon event.
“This past Monday, we had 123 kids here. So we were just so excited about it. We were represented in over 40 states… We want all 50.”
Leopold encouraged other ice cream parlors to join the effort. The program has also produced some memorable moments over the years.
“Several years ago, one kid recited it in Latin,” Leopold laughed. “We didn’t know what the heck he was saying. We realized it’s in Latin, so I think we gave him two ice cream cones.”
Founded in 1919 by Greek immigrant George Leopold, Leopold’s Ice Cream has become one of Savannah’s most iconic destinations. The shop is famous for making ice cream in small batches using many of its original family recipes and has earned national recognition as both a tourist attraction and a hometown institution.
Leopold believes the mission extends far beyond serving dessert.
“It’s a shame that civics is really not being looked at as much as it should be,” he said.
Families and ice cream shop owners interested in joining the initiative can learn more at IPledgeForIceCream.com, where promotional materials are available free of charge to help spread the patriotic tradition nationwide.
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