The 1,300 three-gallon buckets of ice cream at the North Carolina State Fair will be a sweet treat for fans of Howling Cow. Selling this figure, however, will be a sweeter victory for the N.C . State Food Science Club’s primary fundraiser.
The fair began Oct. 13 and 130 volunteers from the club take shifts to raise money.
“The fair has been our annual fundraiser since the 1960s ,” Maggie Schneider, graduate student in food science, said. “The club shares a good relationship with the dairy downstairs [ Schaub Hall food processing] who lend us ice cream to sell. We look forward to this fundraiser for it’s a great opportunity for the entire department—from professors to students, to meet and interact with each other,”
According to Schneider, the fundraiser is called the Dairy Bar.
Planning for this annual fundraiser began seven months ago, according to Amanda Draut , a graduate student in food science.
“There were those initial meetings when we planned for the quantity we hoped to sell, the hands we would need,” Draut said. “Soon, work to ready the ice creams began in the summer. And over the last month, we had students signing up to volunteer. We have students working between one and 13 shifts, all driven by a cause.”
The money the club raises goes back to its members more ways than one.
“The club organizes meetings and interactions with companies almost every week to discuss on jobs and internships. The club also offers scholarships.” The club gives back to society too. “We organize a fundraiser for Wine to Water, a non-profit aid organization that works to provide clean drinking water.”
The club offers 11 flavors this year. Campfire delight and Wolftracks are two new flavors among them.
“Wolftracks is Chancellor Woodson’s choice,” Schneider said. “It has a vanilla base with fudge mixed with peanut butter. Every incoming chancellor gets to choose a favorite flavor. I would recommend chocolate peanut butter spin and cherry vanilla. It’s going to be hard to pick one favorite.”
The Food Science Club Dairy Bar is stationed in the Holshouser Building on the fair grounds, but according to Draut , all you need is to look for are volunteers dressed as the howling cow.
“We will be out there,” Draut said.
