Frozen Custard ... Red and Grey Flavor of the Day

On Wednesday, Shorewood's Culver's will unveil the new Shorewood High School alumni wall of fame — featuring a stunning collection of memorabilia celebrating some of the better-known graduates. U-rah-rah Shorewood, plus frozen custard.

celebrating 10 years of Culver's in Shorewood. It all culminates with a big Saturday afternoon of balloons, magic, and face painting.

You'll want to wear your red and grey on Wednesday, as they celebrate what Culver's has truly become to Shorewood — a heavy hitter in terms of Shorewood community support. 

Peter, George, and Dimitri Dimitropoulos were chosen personally by CEO Craig Culver to franchise a Culver's here.

"We turn a lot of people away," he said, "because they have to have that heart. We know what kind of people we have running our stores, like these two (Peter and George), who are such good leaders. We know that our customers are our community."

Culver kicked off the anniversary Monday, and sprinted for two hours to deliver food outside and in, shaking hands and fielding questions.

Since opening the Shorewood store, the Dimitropoulos brothers have become a part of the community via fundraisers, support and free frozen custard over that time. They have raised over $50,000 for local charities such as the Shorewood SEED Foundation, Shorewood Foundation, local PTA and PTOs for both district and parochial schools, sports teams like Shorewood Gymnastics, Multiple Sclerosis Society, Autism Speaks, the Honor Flights, American Red Cross, Hunger Task Force and the Whitefish Bay Band, to name a few.

Culver's donates the frozen custard for the Friends of Shorewood Library Summer Celebration, assists in financially supporting the Shorewood Concert series at Hubbard Park and the bike races (Shorewood Criterium). They support Shorewood's art events and recently built a terrace out front to feature the butterflies they purchased at auction in Shorewood three years ago in August of 2009.

Emi Franzen was commissioned to shoot many local icons that are newly featured throughout the store, and her framed photographs are delicate and significant. Locations featured are the Jaume Plensa sculpture in Shorewood, the Sydney Hih building, the Hoan Bridge, the Calatrava, and Shorewood High School is depicted with her signature artistic flair. Cathy at Bresler Eitel Framing Gallery is doing the framing and preservation of the collection.

The list of pieces and names is stunning. I will provide grad years (unless you know and would like to comment on the story. Care to wager?)

• William Rehnquist: framed book cover — "A Personal Portrait of the Distinguished Chief Justice of the United States." Personally signed Supreme Court chamber card with envelope. Signed photo from a U.S. Supreme court booklet. 
• Les Aspin — former U.S. Secretary of Defense signed photo.
• David Zucker, Jerry Zucker, and Jim Abrahams — signed photo by all three. Plus mini posters of The Naked Gun and Airplane movies.
• Kate Baldwin ('93) — signed Broadway playbill from "Wonderful Town" and signed CD cover from "Let's See What Happens: Songs of Lane & Harberg"
• Jerry Harrison — The Red And The Black framed LP cover and press photo of The Talking Heads. 
• Charlotte Rae — signed photo as the voice of Aunt Figg in "Tom & Jerry" movie. Also, press photos from her acting in "Facts of Life" and "Different Strokes".
• John Fiedler — custom autographed picture as the voice of Piglet in " Winnie the Pooh".
• Jon Paris — CD cover of "Blue Planet."

Jan Zehren, local teacher and volunteer organizer of many Shorewood events including the Fourth of July and National Night Out until 2010, praised the Culver's owners for their unwavering support of events, providing either frozen custard or financial support or both.  

"I'm so glad that Culver's is here in Shorewood. The owners, George and Peter Dimitropoulos are just good people. They take pride in their business, and they also care very much about the Shorewood community."

She cited as her most endearing experience their eagerness to participate in programs that help children with special needs.  

"Four years ago, they were the first business to agree to be a part of the Special Education Transition Program at Shorewood High School, which puts students with special needs in a work environment. Then, at National Night Out (Shorewood's Block Party against crime), Culver's donated frozen custard so that Shorewood Best Buddies could sell root beer floats as a fundraiser for their club. Best Buddies is a friendship club at the high school that matches special education students with regular education students."

"I'm not surprised at their generosity," said Culver himself, who has been in the custard business since age 11 and started Culver's 28 years ago, "but I am really pleased to see that they are continuing the Culver's tradition of being an important community member. It's what we do."