Hi Neighbors,
Kyle and our boys have built an Igloo in our front yard. You might notice reflective blankets on it the next couple days to preserve it through these warmer temps. The boys have decided they’d like to do a fundraiser and run it as a little restaurant, just for fun!
They’ve made a flyer and are working on delivering them little by little but I know they haven’t made it around to everyone yet. Here’s the details if anyone is interested…
They are calling it CHILL. All proceeds will be donated to the Minneapolis Childrens Crisis Nursery, https://www.crisisnursery.org
I’ve attached the flyer & menu that will be available… basically it’s Heggie’s Pizza, sweets and beverages.
We are requiring advance reservations for planning. If you’d like to make reservations, I’ve created a Google Doc. Enter your name, # of guests and we’re asking everyone to preselect the pizza order so we make sure to have enough of the various kinds. The igloo fits 4 adults comfortably (with space). Or you can text me for reservations.
Nolan and Deacon are very excited to be your servers! 🙂
Thanks!
Margo, Kyle, Nolan & Deacon
Karen Rathke was so touched by this email she received from her neighbors, the Gregor family, that she forwarded it to LocalTies. Karen wrote, “In case you are looking for a new story, here’s a nice one from my neighbors….A lot of neighbors are stepping up to support the cause.”
The Gregor boys were generous in answering more detailed questions. What a great way to spend the end of winter while helping those in need, especially during a pandemic.
What are your names and ages?
Nolan Gregor – 10 years old and Deacon Gregor – 8 years old
Can you share a bit about your idea, and how it came to be?
Well, we were bored because of COVID and wanted to build a snow fort but we didn’t really have a good pile. Our dad used the snow blower and just made a big pile from all the snow in our front yard. Then we just worked on hollowing it out over a couple weeks a little at a time. Some of it was so hard that our dad had to climb in to use this special power saw he made to help carve it out. All the snow that we pulled out ended up turning into short walls outside like a patio. When we were done it was WAY bigger than we thought it would be! We thought it would be fun to make it into something our whole neighborhood could use. Our Dad suggested we turn it into a restaurant and raise money for a good cause and our Mom suggested Minneapolis Childrens Crisis Nursery and we all really liked that.
How long did it take to build your igloo restaurant?
We worked on the Igloo for a couple weeks, probably over 40 hours we spent out there. Once it was built, we made a sign, put carpet and pillows and blankets inside. Got some lanterns and candles and a portable radio for music. A few different neighbors were really nice and let us borrow a fire pit, some tiki torches, and some serving platters for the pizza.
Where did you come up with the name, “CHILL”?
At first Deacon suggested Snow City and we kept brainstorming ideas. Snow City, Chill City, A place to CHILL and as a family we settled on just “CHILL” because it’s winter AND a place you can relax.
Can you provide some details about what was on the menu and how you served it?
We offered a variety of Heggies pizzas, Hyvee M&M cookies, ice cream and a variety of beverages including hot chocolate. All the drinks we served in to-go cups with tops, and once the pizzas were cooked we brought them out on a platter and put it in the middle of the igloo!
How many guests did you serve?
46 guests (15 reservations) and 4 delivery orders
How long were you in business and how much did you raise?
We wanted to do it for a couple weeks, unfortunately we didn’t expect this warm of weather so we were only open for 3 days. It took a lot of work to help it survive the warm temperatures, like adding snow all the time and covering it from the sun during the day. But we learned a lot. We raised $675 for the Minneapolis Children’s Crisis Nursery.
Will you do this again next year?
YES! We want to make it an annual event and hopefully bigger & better next year.
Is there anything more you’d like to say about this experience?
We have a pet rabbit named named Big Chungus and he actually was in the igloo with a couple families while they were eating. And then when they left he just stayed in there and took a nap.
We also realized how hard it is to run a restaurant. Our Mom and Dad were really tired too when we were done.
