Record-setting funds raised go to children’s hospital
But wait, there’s more … In his social media broadcast immediately after the conclusion of Jones County’s Miracle Treat Day last week, Dairy Queen owner and miracle worker Justin Kelly kept saying “But wait, there’s more” each time he announced a new total.
His final announcement, however, came after that July 30 broadcast concluded at 10:30 p.m. and the miracle of the generosity of Jones County businesses and residents happened again. The total of the one-day collection for the Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital is $250,000, a quarter of a million dollars from a community of 30,000 residents.
The “Busiest Dairy Queen on Earth” located in Gray is the center for the collections that Kelly notes come from all over Middle Georgia. While Gray’s DQ still holds that title, it must also be the DQ with the biggest heart on the planet.
The owner demonstrates his belief in the power of prayer repeatedly and closes his social media video posts with prayer. His Wednesday night post ended with a request for a miracle, and he said “thank you” for it Thursday night.
Kelly said July 30 was the toughest thing he had ever done both with the preparation for the Miracle Treat Day event and the issues during the day. He said at times it seemed everything that could go wrong did. But he did not dwell on any of that.
The owner’s first shout out was to the over 100 volunteers who gave of their time, energy and money during the entire day that started at 5:30 a.m. and ended at 9:30 p.m. He said the DQ Dream Team of volunteers ranged in age from 13 on up. The volunteers were divided into shifts, but most of the second shift came early and the first shift just stayed all day.
“Without the volunteers, we simply could not do this,” Kelly stated.
Next, he talked about the support from the businesses and said without them, the numbers would not happen.
He read the list of the businesses that helped and added they would continue to be celebrated in the newspaper and social media. He said 52 businesses pledged to match the restaurant’s busiest hour.
Totals
Kelly took a deep breath and started reading collection totals. He said the people who walked up at the restaurant during business hours to give donations totaled $14,987, and the donations from those 52 pledges from businesses totaled $126,000.
The owner said the checks brought in during the day that had not been pledged totaled $38,575, making the total so far $179,562.
“But wait, there’s more,” he said.
He said the restaurant’s sales for the day totaled $37,957, taking the total to $217,519 and already over last year’s total raised of $180,000.
Kelly said the total from the Zeffy fundraising program was $7,915, bringing the total to $225,434.
“But wait, there’s more,” he said.
The total of Miracle Treat preordered blizzard sales was $16,368, making the total $241,802.
But wait, there’s more. In December of 2004, a Jones County toddler was diagnosed with T-cell Acute Lymphoblasic Leukemia and RSV. The child was taken to the children’s hospital in Macon and then to Atlanta for treatment. At the time of his diagnosis, 97 percent of the child’s blood cells were cancerous, but he went into remission after treatment.
That child was Trane Harley. Kelly said Micah Harley, Trane’s older brother, called him minutes before the social media broadcast and instructed him to round the ending total up $5,000, bringing the total to $245,000.
And there was still more.
Kelly said two minutes after the broadcast he received another phone call.
Dustin and Kayla Avant with Avant Construction Group and Avant’s Jackson General Contractors called to pledge another $5,000 to bring the total to $250,000.
“Dustin said he couldn’t leave it that close to a quarter million,” the owner said.
Kelly said he and the volunteers were beat up and worn out, but it had been an amazing day. Traffic was backed up to Lite-N-Tie Road when the drive-thru line was cut off.
“It’s all about the kids; that’s all that matters,” he said.
After his closing prayer, Kelly said work would begin for next year.
“And boy do we have work to do,” he said.
The owner was visibly hot and tired during the video, having been in the heat during the long day. But somehow Friday morning, Kelly was back appearing fresh, full of energy and taking orders in the drive-thru line, then almost magically appearing in the drivethru window serving customers.
In a text later that afternoon, Kelly said he believes Miracle Treat Day is the ultimate test of teamwork.
“It’s a day that you can’t fake it,” he said. “You’ve either got it, or you don’t. These kids proved yesterday they absolutely have it.”
