The ice cream truck after being destroyed by fire.
PHILIPSBURG--A GoFundMe fundraising campaign has been started on behalf of Randy Newton, the owner of Randy’s Frozen Yogurt and Ice Cream, whose truck was destroyed in an arson attack last month.
The vehicle’s nursery rhyme jingles were silenced on Father’s Day, June 15, when someone poured gasoline on the island’s only ice cream truck and set it on fire at 2:00am in the morning.
“That was my Father’s Day gift,” Newton wryly told “The Daily Herald” on Monday.
The vehicle that burnt last month was Newton’s second, an upgrade to the one that launched his mobile dessert business in 2018, when he was only 21 years old.
That truck – which had the words “Looking for Randy?” glossed on the front bumper, a clever nod to the popular King Kembe song – was already 35 years old and had frequent mechanical issues.
Newton moved to the newer, albeit smaller, second truck two years ago. It turned into a charred wreck in front of the house that Newton shares with his wife and daughter.
While police are currently investigating the arson attack, Newton is determined to get his business back up and running.
“We want to keep the kids happy and we’re working to do this again for the public,” he said. “It’s going to be way better the third time around.”
A crowdfunding campaign has been started by his friends in the United States (US) to help finance a replacement ice cream truck, which can cost as much as US $60,000 for a brand-new model. The money will also be used to cover the cost of new equipment, supplies and safe storage.
As of Monday, the campaign has raised a little more than $4,600, or roughly 9% of its $52,000 target.
Persons interested in donating can do so via https://gofund.me/abf5ece2.
