Rita’s Ice is Doing Good + Giveaway (CLOSED)

I was sent coupons to Rita’s Ice Custard to try out their yumminess in exchange for helping them promote their affiliation with Alex’s Lemonade Stand… not that I needed coupons because we go there ALL THE TIME.

Do you guys know about Rita’s Ice Custard? Because I had no idea who they were until a tiny shop opened up in a little strip-mall near my house. It was a strange location for any type of food establishment and all we knew was that they were serving some kind of iced custard. Whaaaaat? Apparently this is pretty huge back east, but we are in California… we do fro-yo here.

One day we drove by and noticed the shop was open. Hmmmm….. should we try it? The kids wanted to so I thought, “Why not?”

OMG WHY DID WE NOT HAVE THIS HERE BEFORE?????????

Good, yummy, great, delish does not even begin to describe Rita’s. Addicting might be a better word. They are AWESOME! You can get either a frozen custard, an Italian ice…. or a sinful mixture of the two (my favorite). They also do shakes and mix-ins and all kinds of treats you’ll want to try for yourself.

Rita’s has become our family favorite go-to place after school, after events, after everything.

Amanda’s favorite: the Cherry Italian Ice

Now I love a good sweet treat every now and then, but what really struck me about Rita’s was their partnership with Alex’s Lemonade Stand. Known as Rita’s Fund of Hope, they raise money for the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation every June. The Fund takes care of the travel needs of families whose children are battling cancer. The goal is to raise $1 million over the next 2 years.

A worthy cause? Of course. But this is one that really has a special place in my heart. My mother used to run an organization that arranged free flights for cancer patients so they could travel around the country to get the best treatment possible. While we are usually so focused on donating to fighting cancer, we often don’t realize that the day-to-day expenses of having cancer are overwhelming. So many families aren’t even able to get the treatment they need because they don’t live near special cancer hospitals and doctors.

Alex’s Lemonade Stand was started by Alexandra “Alex” Scott (1996 - 2004) when she was only 4 years old. She set up a lemonade stand with the sole purpose to raise money to help fight cancer. From that first stand, a movement was formed.

This year, from June 5 through June 18, more than 625 Rita’s locations will ask guests to donate $1 for a paper lemon to raise money for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation and the fight against childhood cancer. Guests also have the option to Text-To-Donate a one-time $5 donation.

You can check Rita’s website to look up the closest location to you. The California locations that are now open are: Santa Clarita and Redondo Beach. New locations are coming soon to Carlsbad, Mission Viejo and Santa Monica.

Rita’s & ALSF are also hosting a Pin It to Win It contest. The top prize will be for free Rita’s Ice for a year and ALSF gear.

Now, the best part… want to WIN 4 RITA’S COUPONS FOR FREE ITALIAN ICES? That’s what I thought. This is what you’ll get:

To win, all you have to do is leave me a comment telling me what your favorite summertime treat is. Oh, and you might want to make sure you actually have a Rita’s near you. Winners will be randomly chosen by Random.org on Friday, June 14.

So, of course you want to keep up-to-date on everything Rita’s and ALSF is doing, right? I’m going to list all the social media goodness right now.

Rita’s on Facebook
Rita’s on Twitter
Rita’s on Pinterest
ALSF on Facebook
ALSF on Twitter
ALSF on Pinterest

About Rita’s Franchise Company
Rita’s Franchise Company, founded in 1984 and headquartered in Trevose, PA, is the largest Italian Ice concept in the United States, currently operating in 20 states with over 625 outlets. Rita’s presently has international outlets opening in China, India, ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao), and Canada, and is continuing to grow nationally and internationally through franchise opportunities.