People gather in line on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2023 at Sparky’s Homemade Ice Cream in Columbia, Mo. Outside, customers enjoyed their ice cream surrounded by downtown.
Sparky’s Homemade Ice Cream is donating half of all sales on Wednesday, Aug. 30 to Centro Latino as part of a monthly fundraising initiative.
Half of Sparky’s Homemade Ice Cream’s sales on Wednesday, Aug. 30, will go towards empowering Latinx and Hispanic communities through Columbia’s Centro Latino.Sparky’s announced the 50/50 benefit via Instagram, stating that Centro Latino, “provides assistance to immigrants as they become acclimated to their new environment with its different laws, customs, and language.”
Downtown Columbia can be seen from inside Sparky’s on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2023 at Sparky’s Homemade Ice Cream in Columbia, Mo. The ice cream shop’s colorful interior is covered in a diverse collection of art and décor.
In addition to donating half of sales, Sparky’s will be providing a donation bucket, from which all of the collections will go to Centro Latino. This event is a part of a recurring 50/50 day program, which has previously included fundraisers for scholarships for local high schools, and a fundraiser for The Center Project, a Columbia-based LGBTQ+ community center.
A Sparky’s employee hands a customer their kid-sized ice cream over the counter on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2023 at Sparky’s Homemade Ice Cream in Columbia, Mo. Sparky’s offers four sizes of cups, ranging from kids to a double scoop.
Tony Layson, the general manager of Sparky’s, organized the 50/50 day program in order to draw attention to these other organizations and encourage people to check them out and donate. He believes that as a central member of downtown Columbia’s community, and as an organization with a significant social media presence, Sparky’s is obligated to help give back to the community.
Notable services of Centro Latino include legal assistance for naturalization “El Comedor Popular” — meaning The People’s Diner — which is a kitchen providing meals to the community. The organization also provides healthcare literacy, translation services and after school programs for community members.