TCBY Summer Fun Day

SIMSBURY – It’s been a year since Lisa and Mark Arnold opened a TCBY franchise in the Farmington Valley and now, to thank the community for its support, they’re throwing a party.

On Saturday, Aug. 25 from noon to 5 p.m. the Arnold family, including daughters Zoe and Rori, will host a “TCBY Summer Fun Day.” The rain date is Sunday, Aug. 26.      

A variety of activities and demonstrations will be offered and local vendors will set up booths to highlight their businesses.

“We’re a family-owned business and since the community has been very good to us, we wanted to give something back,” Lisa Arnold said. “We’re not charging for the event but we’ll be supporting our charity of choice, the MDA Summer Camp.”

A portion of their and other vendors’ proceeds will go to the cause, she said.

In addition, TCBY (The Country’s Best Yogurt) will ask for a $2 MDA donation for a child’s romp in the Bounce House, which is being donated by Superior Health Spa & Leisure. The Avon business will have a booth at the event to showcase their Jacuzzis.

Moto Photo, a TCBY neighbor, will help with the charity by taking pictures of people wearing funny “props,” charging a nominal fee that will be donated to the MDA camp. 

Also, in partnership with the Multiple Dystrophy Association, the Arnolds’ TCBY stores in Simsbury and Glastonbury are taking collections for the camp through the “Give $1, Get $1” campaign, where customers who donate $1 to the camp get a $1 coupon for their next TCBY visit.

The Arnold family will present a check for the total amount raised at the event and collected at the stores during the MDA’s Show of Strength telethon on Sunday, Sept. 2, which will be televised on Fox 61.

“We’ve been engaged with the MDA Summer Camp for many years because it’s such a good cause,” Mark Arnold said. “It’s oriented to helping the kids and since it’s an overnight camp, it gives parents a break for the week.”

Many activities at the event will be free, including chair massages, face painting and hair braiding by the staff of Shear Artistry Day Spa & Salon in Avon. Also, Simsbury-based ACRO Fitness will demonstrate tumbling and dance routines, and will lead games for children.

Collector vehicles will be on display courtesy of the Valley Collector Car Club, whose members will raise funds for Teddy Bears for Tears. The program provides Teddy bears to volunteer fire departments, police departments and other emergency personnel to give to children in traumatic situations.

Thompson Brook Elementary School in Avon will also have a booth and will sell flip-flops as a fundraiser.

Attendees who like games of challenge can sign up for one of three free contests being offered every hour on the hour. A yogurt eating contest will test who can eat the most in a specific period of time; a brain freeze contest will judge who makes the craziest face after eating TCBY’s cold, sugary sorbet really fast; and a catch fraze contest will take entries for the best phrase describing how the contestant loves TCBY.

Prizes such as gift cards, T-shirts and hats will be given to the yogurt eating and brain freeze winners, and the catch fraze winner receives 10 preselected, premade cups of yogurt, a $40 value.

There will also be a hot dog eating contest sponsored by The Meat House, one of the local vendors selling food. Their entrée will be steak skewers.

Other food items for sale include garlic knots from Lisa’s Luna Pizza; mozzarella sticks, Southwestern eggrolls and other appetizers from Chili’s; Panini sandwiches from Cosi; and mini pizzas from Bertucci’s.

EMS (Eastern Mountain Sports) will have a booth as will The Zoo Health Club, a business opening soon in Simsbury Commons that will offer free trial membership passes and a drawing for a free membership.

Coach Greg Plaskett will demonstrate and sell Team Beachbody exercise videos, while New Balance Avon will give a demonstration of electronic shoe fitting and show off their new styles for school.

“This is a great opportunity for local businesses to get exposure and contribute to the cause,” Mark Arnold said. “It will also be a last hurrah before school starts.”

Exhibitors also include Verizon Wireless, Staples, Bikers Edge, The Hartford Advocate and the University of Hartford Athletics Department, which will offer free drawings for game tickets and a personal appearance by their Hawks mascot.

“People should come because there’s going to be a lot of fun stuff, performances, and they can learn things,” said Rori Arnold, 8, a future third grader at Tootin’ Hills School in Simsbury. “They can win stuff and get good food.”

Her sister Zoe Arnold, a rising freshman at Simsbury High who has been helping at the store this summer, said she is excited about the event and how more and more vendors have signed on to participate.

The Arnolds have sold their TCBY products at Hawks games and other events like the ING Hartford Marathon and the IronWorks Youth Challenge in Simsbury; and they help with fundraisers for organizations such as schools, churches and synagogues. Catering is available for off-premise events and TCBY hosts birthday parties on-site.

“TCBY has supported a lot of local organizations, including our Farmington Valley Jewish Congregation fundraisers,” said regular customer Jennifer Shufro of Avon.

The Arnolds also partnered with Roaring Brook Elementary School in Avon, sponsoring its Reading Program. Students who read five books within a two-week period had the incentive of receiving a $3 off coupon for TCBY, and there was a school-wide monthly drawing for a free TCBY frozen yogurt cake. A poster signed by students hangs in the store thanking TCBY.

TCBY is located at 530 R Bushy Hill Road, Simsbury in the Avon Marketplace. The store phone number is 860-658-4520.