Benefit was held Uncle Sam's Bar and Grill Monday night, generated $650 dollars

Monday evening at Uncle Sam's Bar and Grill, approximately 4-5 dozen people showed up to support the benefit given in behalf of Laurie Meade.

The benefit was intended to help raise funds for Laurie to replace her beloved Blue Jean's Ice Cream Truck, which was stolen out of her driveway the night after Christmas of 2011.

Laurie generated over $100 on her own before the benefit by selling prepaid customized Ice Cream Punch Cards. She also said she had put over $200 of her regular monthly budget into expenses related to promoting the benefit, including ink for her printer, paper, and gas to get around to the businesses that donated to the benefit.

She said that money was from that which normally would have gone toward her cable and power bill, but she was able to get them to work with her and double up those payments the first of next month.

Laurie was overwhelmed with emotion, about the kindness and generosity of the people that were there.

She said there may have been a bigger turnout but someone pointed out to her today, that the date of the benefit was not printed on the top of the flyer about the details.

She told how exhausted she was having worked through the even and most of the night, editing the flyer and newsletter, and promoting and spreading the fliers during the day.

No one pointed out that the only date about the benefit on the flyer was in small print in the box of the articles from Tacoma Weekly printed on the backside of the promotional flyer.

She told about a women and man, a retired couple, who when asked at the door to donate, $1 or more to the benefit cause said, "I don't want to give you a dollar, I want to give Laurie a check!" They then proceed ed to write her a check for $200." She said later that evening during the auction bidding , the same couple spent $70 dollars on one of the items being auctioned. They left shortly after that, the woman joking with Laurie, saying, we better leave now before we lose our house!

Laurie was so appreciative of the kindness and generosity of the small group of people at the benefit.

She handed out copies of her new newsletter/newspaper, The Blue Jeans Ice Cream Times, which has advertisements and an article listing all the companies who donated to support the benefit.

Laurie plans on updating it every few weeks and passing it out off her new ice cream truck once she gets going again, but leaving ads in it from the donors through several issues of the newsletter at no charge to the benefit donating businesses.

She says this is one way she can give back and pay forward the kindness they have bestowed on her and her family.

Laurie also said that there is still a long way to go, but she is hopeful now. It is a start.

She also said she wished someone could schedule a time and event  that could be attended by families with children, as there were many who wanted to show support but couldn't attend because the benefit was at a bar.

 Here is the link if you would like to donate to the  Blue Jean's Ice Cream Truck Donation Fund.

     We are counting on funds now from this website to help reach our goal!

Today there was also a new lead in a maybe siting of the stolen vehicle.