Posted by Blizz Prez under Blizzard on November 27th, 2012
What?! How could you not know what that is? Kidding! I just invented it. And lemme tell ya, this new shopping day is destined to make your holiday season 200% hollier and jollier.* Tasty Tuesday is sort of like Black Friday, but instead of standing in a parking lot overnight only to battle a mob of sale-crazed shoppers at dawn, you finish all your shopping quickly and safely by getting everyone on your list DQ® gift cards. Or it’s like Cyber Monday, but in addition to being able to buy your gift cards online, you can also pick them up at a DQ location (making it oh so convenient to get yourself a little something at the same time). Presents: acquired. Stress: lowered. December: merrier than ever.
Posted by Blizz Prez under Blizzard on November 20th, 2012
Oh, hey there. I’m just taking a break from working on my annual list of things I’m grateful for. There’s a lot of good stuff on here: seedless watermelon, hypoallergenic cats, snooze buttons, lightning bugs, Tuesdays, that Velcro strap thingy that keeps the cuff of my pants from getting caught in the gears of my bike, electricity, googly eyes. It probably goes without saying that Blizzard® Treats also make the list, but you know what I’m even more thankful for? All the people I’ve gotten to share those treats with over the years. So today I’d like to proclaim my heartfelt appreciation for my pals and parents, coworkers and cousins, dentists, mechanics and postal workers. (What, you’ve never treated your mailman to an OREO®Blizzard Treat?) And of course, the fantastic members of the BFC. Without Blizzard fans, there’d be no Blizzard Fan Club, and then I’d be short a dream job. Thanks, everybody!
Posted by Blizz Prez under Blizzard on November 13th, 2012
Every year around this time, the falling temps make me yearn for the hot, sticky days of July. I know, I know—I should save my summer nostalgia for winter’s coldest, darkest days. But I’m the kind of person who throws on a third sweater and cranks up the space heater whenever there’s a slight breeze. This year, however, I vow to embrace the cold. Helping me ease into the truly chilly months is the Choco Mint Brownie Blizzard Treat. This frozen friend puts that frosty feeling to good use with cool mint, chewy brownie pieces and choco chunks blended with creamy vanilla soft serve. Hmm, maybe summer is overrated. This treat gives me chills!
The best and most rewarding part of my job is the work I do with Children’s Miracle Network®, a charity that raises funds for 170 nonprofit children’s hospitals across North America. The Dairy Queen® system has been a partner with Children’s Miracle Network® for over 29 years raising over $91 million in that time for sick and injured children.
Each year I am actively involved in the planning and executing of the DQ® annual Miracle Treat Day activities and other fundraising initiatives throughout the year. I always knew how important fundraising for hospitals was, but it wasn’t until last year when I needed the help of a children’s hospital that it really hit home.
In July 2011, my son, Oliver, was born at McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario, a Children’s Miracle Network® member hospital. Weighing in at nine pounds, 12 ounces, Oliver was a full-term, seemingly healthy baby, and my husband and I were overjoyed with his arrival. On his third day in the world, we were getting ready to go home when a nurse came into my hospital room without Oliver in tow and told us to sit down. Our baby had an unexplained fever, which is taken very seriously in newborns, and had been taken to the Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
I felt like the ground had fallen out from under my feet and that my heart had been ripped out of my chest. Overcome with fear, tears spilled down my face and I felt incredibly helpless. Seeing Oliver in an incubator with tubes and wires everywhere was so frightening. All I wanted to do was to hold him and take him home, but I wasn’t allowed to. It was heart-wrenching.
Terms like dehydration, lumbar puncture and intense antibiotic treatment swirled around for the next couple of days and Oliver was cared for by a team of incredible nurses and doctors. I’m very happy to report that after 48 hours of intense round-the-clock care, Oliver was released to us with a clean bill of health. Those two days were the longest and most terrifying of my life, but I was incredibly comforted knowing that he was in the best possible hands.
We were very lucky that our baby boy wasn’t seriously ill. My husband and I saw other tiny babies in the NICU who had been there for days, weeks or even months. I’m sure that some of them never left. After this experience, my work with Children’s Miracle Network has even deeper meaning to me. I hope that we never need the hospital again, but if we do, I am comforted to know that it is there.
For more information or to donate to your local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital, please visit:
Posted by Blizz Prez under Blizzard on November 6th, 2012
It’s an important day, everyone. A day for decisions. For civic duty. For making your voice heard. Because today’s the day we decide which flavor of Blizzard® Treat should represent our country at the UN (United Nummies). The candidates have been campaigning hard. OREO®CheeseQuake® has set new records for hands shook and babies kissed. Georgia Mud Fudge® made a strong showing at the debates with its plan to have fudge and nuts work together to increase deliciousness. Choco Cherry Love seems to be the treat that everyone wants to sit down and have a shake with. It’s going to be close, people, so make sure you get to the polls today. (And leave a comment to make your case for the Blizzard Treat flavor that’s getting your vote.)
It’s the end of October in Minnesota so weekends are for raking leaves, visiting haunted houses and spending as much time as possible outside before the snow starts falling. Last Saturday I went to a Pumpkin Patch Fall Festival with a friend of mine. We played mini golf, jumped onto a hay ride, picked out a pumpkin and then ordered some nachos and root beer floats from the tiny little malt shop at the park.
Unfortunately, the young adults working the food and ice cream counter were very slow. After ordering your items, they would write the order down on a post-it and give it to someone in the prep area. The customer would pay and then stand there and wait, and wait, and wait. Many of the customers looked irritated at the wait times.
I couldn’t help overhearing what one woman said to her small son as they walked into the malt shop. “Come on honey, let’s go to the local DQ® store instead.” And without a second thought, the little boy turned around and followed his mom out to the car.
Even in the midst of a Fall Festival, with hay rides and pumpkins and mini golf, the perfect ending for that mother and son was a trip to the DQ store.
Posted by Blizz Prez under Blizzard on October 30th, 2012
One seemingly normal day, I called my friend Joe and suggested we meet up for Blizzard® Treats. “Meet for what?” he asked. I chalked his confusion up to poor reception and told him to meet me at the nearest DQ® store. When I got there and looked at the menu, I was shocked to find buttons, paper clips and lint where soft serve and tasty toppings should have been! Joe appeared at my side, saying, “Here’s your soft serve,” and handed me a cup of lint. I was a living in a world without Blizzard Treats! Noooooooo!
And then I woke up. It was all a dream! [Pan to cup of lint and buttons on nightstand.]OR WAS IT?
(It was. Relax, Blizzard Treats still exist. Happy Halloween, everybody!)
Just a few months ago, a DQ® customer named Carrissa stopped into the Bloomington, Minn. DQ Grill & Chill® restaurant with her boyfriend. While they normally use the drive-thru lane, this time she parked and went into the location instead. While waiting for her food, Carrissa was enjoying the heritage photo collection on the wall when she suddenly realized there was a photo of herself, her brother Todd, and their friend Bubba from more than 30 years ago! They had been invited to the corporate headquarters in October 1979 for a promotional photo shoot of DQ products. What a surprise!
Posted by Blizz Prez under Blizzard on October 23rd, 2012
As president of the Blizzard® Fan Club, I may be a little biased, but I think it’s the greatest club in the history of people gathering and calling themselves a club. (And this is coming from someone who founded a pretty fantastic pillow fort club at the age of 8.) What does the BFC have over structurally sound couch cushion bunkers? Well, being a member means getting exclusive Buy One, Get One coupons, email updates about the Blizzard of the Month and more. We’ll even remember your birthday. And celebrate it. With a little something special just for you. Join now and we’ll also teach you the secret BFC handshake (just as soon as you help us decide what that should be).
Posted by Lisa Y under Dairy Queen on October 18th, 2012
On Thursday, Oct. 4, Stacey Davis from Teaneck, N.J., who captained team “Cool Champs,” received the $100,000 grand prize for checking into 100 DQ® stores and winning the Oreo® 100 digital challenge. Team “Cool Champs” was chosen at random among 113 other teams that also entered the contest that ran from May through August.
Davis and her family were on hand to receive the $100,000 check at a celebration held at the Rochelle, N.J., DQ store. The Oreo 100 contest was underwritten by Kraft in support of the Oreo cookies’ 100th birthday. This contest was an innovative promotion combining mobile, social and location based technology.
