Häagen-Dazs ice cream shops often live in the shadow of the brand’s popular grocery store pints. Tomorrow, however, you might wanna swing by a shop, because Häagen-Dazs is hosting its annual Free Cone Day. As the name implies, you can get a free scoop of ice cream (or sorbet) in a sugar or cake cone, or also in a cup. This year, Free Cone Day is also dedicated to helping the honey bees.
Yes, bees aren’t just pesky things you swat at as you eat your ice cream, hoping that they won’t sting you. Apparently 1/3 of Häagen-Daz flavors are bee dependent. Actually, 1/3 of all food is bee dependent. So, bees are pretty important.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Häagen-Dazs Loves Honey Bees campaign, in which the ice cream company works to support honey bees. Over the past couple of years, there have been reports that bees are dying at an alarming rate. A survey from the The Bee Informed Partnership found that between 2015 and 2016, the US lost 44 percent of its honey bee colonies. However, since then, honey bee colonies seem to be bouncing back a bit thanks to increased efforts, but bees still need our help.
Since starting 10 years ago, Häagen-Dazs has donated over $1 million to bee research and planted over 11,000 plants. If you want to help the bees too, the ice cream company asks that you donate to the Xerces Society—they have a goal of planting 1 million acres of habitat for bees.
“Free Cone Day is an opportunity to say thank you to our loyal fans, and we want to continue to recognize the pollinators that make our ice cream possible,” Adam Hanson, The Häagen-Dazs Shoppe Company, Inc. President and General Manager, said in a press release.
“With this year marking the 10th anniversary of the brand’s honey bee support, we wanted to build on that information and encourage everyone to band together for this important cause.”
You can join in the support and head on over to a Häagen-Dazs location nearby tomorrow between 4-8 pm to snag a free scoop. Go for the free treat or go to support the bees. Either way, free ice cream should always be considered a priority.