Before arriving to Walzem Elementary on Aug. 23 with free snow cones and a big smile, Kona Ice San Antonio Owner Randy Stetson cried.
This wasn’t just any other day at the job keeping kids cool, it meant much more.
“My stepfather passed away last year and he was a New York City school teacher, so when he passed away, I told my mom, ‘I’m going to do something in his name for the rest of my career with Kona Ice,’” Stetson said.
He decided that every year he would pick a school to give the staff and students free snow cones. Walzem Elementary was first on his list. Two Kona Ice Trucks pulled up to the campus with festive music and ice for more than 650 snow cones.
The students cheered and gave a heartfelt thank you. Several of them were working on ‘Thank You’ cards back in their classroom.
“For the kids to get this kind of treatment, it’s fantastic,” Walzem Elementary Principal John Hinds said. “The students are so grateful.”
Stetson was happy to bring smiles to the students’ faces in honor of his late stepfather.
“This means a lot to me and my family,” Stetson said. “My stepfather would be super proud, he was always inspiring me in regards to Kona Ice. When we first started in the business it was tough, but he was always there to pick us up by the bootstraps and he would say, ‘go do it, find a way,’ and we did.”
