Ice Hut Gives Back to Community and Beyond

For Pam and Matthew Klein, owners of Springfield's The Ice Hut, philanthropy is a priority.

Residents of the Township for nearly six years, the Kleins have shown their Springfield pride by sponsoring a number of sports teams even before their children were old enough to play.

The Mountain Avenue frozen treat shop has aided those beyond the local community as well. For the past two years, the shop has donated all the supplies needed for Alex’s Lemonade Stand, a national foundation that raises money and awareness for childhood cancers by hosting local sales, organized and run by parents and students of Walton School.

“Last year we raised approximately $1,000,” said Pam Klein. “We raised between $600 and $800 this year.”

Another annual event the shop supports is breast cancer awareness each October and has partnered with the Carpet Girl to raise funds for treatment.

The recently-held 'Autism Sings: A Night of Song' is one of the shop’s event’s that is closest to Klein's heart. A special education teacher, Klein said she encouraged the teens who performed to research the disorder and then share facts about it to raise awareness and educate others.

Klein said even though the event was thrown together at the last minute, there was a huge turnout.

“It was really nice,” she said. “The students were so talented and stood in front of the crowd with such poise; they played the guitar and the piano. They organized everything themselves and even set up their own sound system. I was really impressed with their abilities.”

Klein said The Ice Hut supports school fundraisers throughout the year and is open to assisting anyone interested in pursuing a charitable endeavor.

“We’re the hometown ice cream shop,” said Klein, who added that The Ice Hut is  family-owned and operated. “People call us the ‘Cheers’ of the community. Teams come here after a game, kids do their homework here. So naturally we want to give back to the community.”

Check back with Patch for upcoming events at The Ice Hut.