Wish upon a cone

Frontiersman reporter

WASILLA -- Ice cream, race cars, home furnishings and Shriners might not seem like the most obvious combination of benefactors to help children suffering from serious illnesses, but these varied sources all banded together Thursday to chip in for the Make-A-Wish foundation, which grants the requests of those suffering from life-threatening illnesses.

Cars emblazoned with the decals of sponsors roared into the parking lot of the Creekside Plaza, headed for Cold Stone Creamery's third-annual charity drive to aid the organization.

Everyone donating cash to the charity Thursday afternoon got a slice of Cold Stone Creamery ice-cream cake, on the house.

In addition, throughout the month of July (which is, coincidentally, National Ice Cream Month), customers at the business were invited to pay one dollar to have their name printed on a shiny star, which was then hung on the walls of the store. On Thursday afternoon, the walls were papered with these tiny testaments to the community's generosity.

Luke Delia, a sufferer of Duchenne muscular dystrophy who, four years ago, was granted his wish of visiting Walt Disney World, attended Thursday's event.

Decked out in shorts and face paint reading "HOT ROD," Luke stood out in the crowd of well-wishers and donation contributors at the event.

A trip to Walt Disney World is the most popular request granted by Make-A-Wish.

Delia said he particularly enjoyed Splash Mountain at the theme park, and rode every ride he could find during his time there.

All the money raised by the creamery will go back to Alaska to fund more wishes.

Stephanie Newberry, manager of the Wasilla store, said her business puts its whole heart into its yearly Make-A-Wish charity event. Though the other five Cold Stone Creamery locations in the state hold similar events, Newberry said the Valley event is by far the most elaborate.

"Wasilla does it up more than any other store in the state, and we're very proud of that," she said.

Newberry said her fund-raising goal for this year was $3,000.

Cold Stone Creamery wasn't the only local business that chipped in to aid Make-A-Wish on Thursday.

Not far from the donations and celebration tent, Phil Aiken with The Need for Speed Race Shop heaped on top of its roof the trophies his blue racer had earned. Aiken explained that his car, which had a few more dents and scratches than one might expect from a speed machine, was a competitor in North Star Speedway's Thunderstock competition, a league specifically geared toward beginners.

In these competitions, participants get secondhand, often slightly battered cars, strip them, make some simple structural modifications and put them out on the track. The whole process usually costs less than $2,000.

"You don't really need any training; you just need to read the rule book," Aiken said.

Tim Mutch, unofficial holder of the track record in the Thunderstock competition at the speedway, leaned against his machine, a '78 Buick Regal found in a gravel pit and subsequently fixed up.

"The secret is getting the car to turn, not more horsepower," he said.

Mutch, in addition to his racing career, works at the Alaska Club. The club and the speedway collaborated to raise more than $1,403 for the Make-A- Wish foundation, via an innovative system of fund-raising.

The Alaska Club donated tennis balls to the speedway, which painted numbers on them and sold them, a dollar apiece, to attendees of racing events.

The balls were then hurled at two 50-gallon barrels in the back of a pickup truck driving slowly around the track. Getting a ball into one of the barrels would net the thrower a prize.

Fourteen hundred and three tennis balls later, a representative of the speedway handed Delia and his family a check for as many dollars.

"We appreciate the raceway for raising so much money," Newberry said. "We were kind of shocked by how much they managed to raise."

The event also included a silent auction, with items from local businesses and retailers, refreshments served up by Allen & Petersen Home Decorating Center and a clown from the Shriners, making it a truly widespread community occasion.

"It's actually Cold Stone's event, but I go around a month beforehand and try to get the whole community involved," Newberry said.

Contact Daniel Spoth at daniel.spoth@frontiersman.com.