Three years ago, a Gray restaurant owner made a decision to make a real difference in the life of sick children in Middle Georgia, and a community bought into his vision.
With the $91,813 raised in the July 27 Miracle Treat Day, the Dairy Queen of Gray will have given one-quarter of a million dollars to the Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital.
The DQ Miracle Treat Day is a franchise-wide event across the nation that contributes at least $1 for each blizzard sold on the chosen date. Justin Kelly, the owner of DQ of Gray, does more than that. He donates 100 percent of the money taken in by his restaurant to the Macon Children’s Hospital that treats children from all over Middle Georgia.
More than $80,000 was raised in both 2021 and 2022 with the total increasing each year. In a July 28 Facebook post, Kelly announced a total of $89,025 for this year. However, in a text interview Saturday, he said that total did not include four checks that he had been given previously, which brought the total to over $91,000.
“It couldn’t have been done without all the business owners and the public overwhelmingly showing up and making the miracle happen,” Kelly said. “It’s awesome seeing the community band together in complete accord to achieve a goal. There were people pulling in a quarter mile down the road to wait in line and didn’t care at all that we told them it may be an hour before they get to the window. People were determined to do their part.”
The owner thanked Gray and surrounding communities who showed up. He also gave credit to media partners including FoxABC, 41NBC, 13 WMAZ and especially Laura Starling with WDEN for getting the word out before and during the Miracle Treat Day event.
Starling did a remote broadcast from DQ in Gray for hours.
“Thank you to Laura Starling and WDEN for making sure every single person in Central Georgia was super aware of the mission,” he said.
Kelly said the DQ of Gray Dream Team arrived early and donated their salaries for the day.
“They were determined to make it to last year’s number of $81K. They absolutely would not leave my side Thursday night until they knew the mission was over. I’ve got the absolute best crew a man could ever pray for,” he said.
The owner said there were 82 community volunteers, including Jones County High School cheerleaders, Bradley Baptist members and other individuals who stayed all day long and also delivered blizzards all that morning.
“Thank you to every single volunteer who drove hundreds of miles throughout Central Georgia to deliver blizzards, open doors, greet customers, clean the building all day, direct traffic and help with absolutely anything needed,” he said.
Kelly thanked all the businesses who stepped up again matching hours and making pledges until it hurt. He said several businesses gave anonymously, and he wanted to thank every patron who came in and spent big, bought huge amounts of food, gave cash donations and showed up to wait in a drive through line that was a quarter of a mile long.
“Without the combined effort of everyone working to a common goal, there’s no way to make this happen. I’m so thankful to live in a community that can come together and make a miracle happen when duty calls. From the bottom of my heart, thanks to everyone,” he said.
The owner said in a world filled with negative news, he is glad to be part of a positive story.
“When I have grown men, business owners and ex-convicts all come hand me checks with tears in their eyes, I know the right thing is definitely being done,” he commented.
