We’ve always been virtual, since before virtual was cool (or necessary).
People have participated from drive-thrus, place of work, hospital bed, cafeteria, restaurants and most often their very own home at the beginning of the day. No need to share germs, just share your picture (and a bit of your heart).
You can eat things other than ice cream.
No need to feel that you can’t participate if you are dairy-free, vegan or have food allergies. Get creative and find a way to embrace your inner child during the morning of February 18th. Here are some ideas for alternatives to ice cream.
It all started with one little girl who loved life.
Malia Grace left us far too soon, and that isn’t fair. But Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast is about her ALIVE. It is celebrated on her day of birth, and captures a few of her favorite things – silliness, a good party and frozen convections. Now, we just need to get her family, friends and unicorn poop in there somehow.
We’ve been celebrating since 2013.
I know, it’s hard for us to believe too… but this whole crazy idea started way back then and hasn’t stopped since. Each year is different, but each year is special. This year will be too.
We have no paid staff, or budget.
One of Alisa’s brushes with fame was when she talked to Kevin Bacon’s manager on the phone. He asked how big the EICFBD staff was and our annual budget. She laughed out loud, zero to both questions. Just two Minnesota sisters who love one kid.
*And if inquiring minds want to know, Kevin DID virtually eat with us in 2015 and 2016
We don’t raise any money.
Most childhood cancer organizations and events are about fundraising, because childhood cancer gets less than 4% of all cancer research dollars… but we wanted to keep focused on awareness, gratefulness and community. However, we do hope that once you participate your brain starts thinking, because we know that awareness leads to knowledge and then to action.
It’s free, easy to participate.
Just buy your ice cream and take a selfie while you are eating and let your friends know WHY you are eating. If you have a connection to pediatric cancer, let people know. If you don’t tell people about one of our featured kids.
Malia’s mom Annette tells us about Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day (CLICK TO LISTEN): Malia Grace is a little girl who will be celebrating her 14th birthday in Heaven tomorrow, February 18th. Malia battled pediatric cancer and passed away in 2010 at the age of 9. One thing she LOVED was having ice cream for breakfast and her family remembers her each year on her birthday by doing just that. Now YOU and your family are invited to do the same thing! Just eat ice cream for breakfast tomorrow in memory of Malia Grace and all those children who are battling cancer, surviving cancer or resting in Heaven with their Savior. Be sure to like Malia Grace’s Facebook page: (read more)
International Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day on a sweet mission: KXAN.com – AUSTIN (KXAN) — You might not know it, but you’re in for a sweet treat today – for various reasons. It’s International Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day, all to “support the fighting, remember the resting and party on with the survivors.” It’s meant to spread …
What began as one Forest Lake family’s effort to honor the daughter they lost to cancer at age 9 has turned into a worldwide phenomenon dedicated to all children with cancer. Feb. 18 has been deemed “Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day” in honor of the spunky spirit of Scandia Elementary student Malia Peterson, who died in 2010 after a 14-month battle with kidney cancer. The event was first celebrated in 2013.
“We wanted to honor our daughter on her birthday, but we weren’t emotionally ready for an actual party,” Annette Peterson, Malia’s mother, said. “We came up with the idea of an online party where we would ask close friends and family to photograph themselves eating ice cream for breakfast and upload it to our Facebook event page for Malia.
Celebrate Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day to honor kids with cancer: Fox 59 – FOREST LAKE, MN (February 18, 2015) – “Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day” isn’t a holiday created by little kids who wanted to eat dessert for breakfast – this holiday actually has a very special story. According to myfoxdetroit.com, a family created this day to …
Eat ice cream for breakfast to support kids fighting cancer: MyFox Detroit – A family from Forest Lake, Minnesota is overwhelmed by the worldwide support they’re getting for “Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day” – a day they created to honor their daughter Malia and other kids who have lost their lives to cancer, to support the kids fighting …
It’s national ‘Eat Ice Cream For Breakfast Day’: Baltimore Sun – The tradition was started by a Minnesota family who lost their daughter to cancer, in 2010. The 9 year old loved to have ice cream for breakfast. Now, people are sharing their ice creambreakfast all over social media with #icecreamforbreakfast. The tradition …
MN Family Helps Fight Childhood Cancer By Eating Ice Cream For Breakfast: CBS Local – MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – It’s something your mother told you never to do: eat ice cream for breakfast. But one Forest Lake family is asking everyone to eat ice creamWednesday morning. It’s all part of a campaign that’s gone international to remember their…
Bring Me the News: Ice cream for breakfast: Children’s cancer campaign started in MN goes global
As long-term diets go, it’s not the healthiest. But as a once-a-year indulgence to honor a Minnesota girl who lost her life to cancer, “International Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day” is a seemingly perfect way to warm hearts across the globe. Annette Peterson, of Forest Lake, started the awareness raising campaign in 2013 in honor of her daughter Malia, who just 9-years-old when she died in December 2010 following a 14-month battle with kidney cancer. (read more)
Family’s ‘Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day’ meant to honor pediatric cancer …: Fox News – A Minnesota family says they are overwhelmed by the amount of people participating in “Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day” meant to honor their daughter who died of cancer, and other pediatric patients fighting the disease. Malia Grace was just 9 when she …
How Eating Ice Cream For Breakfast Helps Kids With Cancer: POPSUGAR – Eat Ice Cream For Breakfast Day — which just so happens to be today (if you stuck with bacon and eggs this morning, mark your calendar for Feb. 18, 2016!) — is a new tradition started by a Michigan family in honor of their daughter who died after a battle …
Eat Ice Cream For Breakfast On February 18 For An Incredibly Worthy Cause: Bustle – If you’ve ever wanted to reach for the Ben & Jerry’s after waking up, this is the day to do it. A family from Forest Lake, Minnesota, has officially made February 18 National EatIce Cream For Breakfast Day in honor of their 9-year-old daughter, Malia Grace …
Ice cream for breakfast: Children’s cancer campaign started in MN goes global: Rick Kupchella’s BringMeTheNews – But as a once-a-year indulgence to honor a Minnesota girl who lost her life to cancer, “International Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day” is a seemingly perfect way to warm hearts across the globe. Annette Peterson, of Forest Lake, started the awareness raising …
Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day honors children who have cancer: Atlanta Journal Constitution – FOREST LAKE, Minn. — Put away that sausage biscuit and save the eggs for another day: Feb. 18 is Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day. The holiday is more than an excuse to indulge your sweet tooth. The Peterson family from Forest Lake, Minnesota, started …
Mom Asks You to Feed Your Kids Ice Cream for Breakfast to Honor Child Who …: The Stir – One family in Minnesota is embracing the saying, “Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first,” in memory of the child they lost to cancer. The Petersons, whose daughter, Malia, died in 2010 after a 14-month battle with kidney cancer, have started Eat Ice Cream for …
Eating Ice Cream For Breakfast Has Its Benefits: Youth Health Magzine – The event was first celebrated in 2013 with close friends and family through a virtual birthday party for Malia via Facebook, but this year, “Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day” was opened up to other families of children with cancer, according to the publication …
International Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day: National Monitor – To honor their daughter’s memory, the Paterson family has declared this day to be International Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day. What started two years ago as family and friends posting photos on a Facebook page, has grown into an international campaign.
While we are based out of Minnesota, USA., childhood and pediatric cancers are a worldwide problem, so we need worldwide awareness and cures. Below view some key facts about worldwide pediatric cancer and the vast disparities in outcomes for kids based on the country in which they were born into.
When we talk about INTERNATIONAL Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day, we mean that we have people from 83 different countries– supporting, remembering & celebrating with us this year! 83 unique, beautiful, sometimes disagreeing, separate government, COUNTRIES!! Behold, the power of ice cream and a love of kids to unite us!
See below for the list of participating countries, please comment if your country is not listed and we will add it!
Behold, the power of ice cream and a love of kids to unite us! #kidsgetcancertoo
Angola Argentina Australia Bahamas Bahrain Barbados Belgium Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Brazil Cambodia Canada Chile China Colombia Costa Rica Czech Republic Denmark Ecuador Egypt Fiji Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Honduras Hong Kong Hungary India Indonesia Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kenya Kuwait Latvia Macao Macedonia, the Former Yugoslav Republic Malaysia Malta Mauritius Mexico Morocco Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Pakistan Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Republic of Korea Romania Russian Federation Saudi Arabia Serbia Singapore Slovakia Slovenia South Africa South Korea Spain Sweden Switzerland Syria Thailand Tunisia Turkey Uganda United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Venezuela Vietnam
Each year, approximately 400 000 children and adolescents of 0-19 years old are diagnosed with cancer. [1]
The most common types of childhood cancers include leukemias, brain cancers, lymphomas and solid tumours, such as neuroblastoma and Wilms tumours.
In high-income countries, where comprehensive services are generally accessible, more than 80% of children with cancer are cured. In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), an estimated 15-45% are cured. [3]
Childhood cancer cannot generally be prevented or identified through screening.
Most childhood cancers can be cured with generic medicines and other forms of treatment, including surgery and radiotherapy. Treatment of childhood cancer can be cost-effective in all income settings. [4]
Avoidable deaths from childhood cancers in LMICs result from lack of diagnosis, misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis, obstacles to accessing care, abandonment of treatment, death from toxicity, and higher rates of relapse. [3]
Childhood cancer data systems are needed to drive continuous improvements in the quality of care, and to inform policy decisions.
Key facts
Each year, approximately 400 000 children and adolescents of 0-19 years old are diagnosed with cancer. [1]
The most common types of childhood cancers include leukemias, brain cancers, lymphomas and solid tumours, such as neuroblastoma and Wilms tumours.
In high-income countries, where comprehensive services are generally accessible, more than 80% of children with cancer are cured. In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), an estimated 15-45% are cured. [3]
Childhood cancer cannot generally be prevented or identified through screening.
Most childhood cancers can be cured with generic medicines and other forms of treatment, including surgery and radiotherapy. Treatment of childhood cancer can be cost-effective in all income settings. [4]
Avoidable deaths from childhood cancers in LMICs result from lack of diagnosis, misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis, obstacles to accessing care, abandonment of treatment, death from toxicity, and higher rates of relapse. [3]
Childhood cancer data systems are needed to drive continuous improvements in the quality of care, and to inform policy decisions.
The problem
Cancer is a leading cause of death for children and adolescents, particularly in high-income countries. The likelihood of surviving a diagnosis of childhood cancer depends on the country in which the child lives: in high-income countries, more than 80% of children with cancer are cured, but in many LMICs only 15-45% are cured [3].
The reasons for lower survival rates in LMICs include: delay in diagnosis and advanced disease, an inability to obtain an accurate diagnosis, inaccessible therapy, abandonment of treatment, death from toxicity (side effects), and avoidable relapse. Improving access to childhood cancer care, including to essential medicines and technologies, is highly cost effective, feasible and can improve survival in all settings [4].
This event is really all about supporting some pretty incredible kids with cancer, and not about the ice cream (even though it’s pretty awesome too) and here’s why:
A cancer momma sent this to me, “ My daughter, Sophia, was diagnosed with Epenymoma brain cancer and endured multiple resections and shunt replacements. She woke up from her last surgery and shocked us by asking for ice cream. She had a feeding tube in place for 8 months and had been refusing to eat. I was just about at my breaking point. I will never ever forget that day. I actually sobbed when she asked for ice cream.”
Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day is about being childlike and about meeting kids where they are at and rejoicing if they want to eat anything at all during treatment.
So, on February 18th, we encourage you to use whatever substitutions you wish as you support the fighting, remember the resting and party on with the survivors.
If you eat:
Paleo
Keto
Vegetarian
Sugar Free
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Or have:
Lactose Intolerance
A Peanut or Dairy Allergy
Diabetes
Celiac Disease
Everyone can find a safe alternative and enjoy the spirit of our eat “ice cream” for breakfast day.
Below are some great ice cream alternative recipes, but the sky is the limit.
Raspberry Ice Cream
Serves 2, 2 bananas, frozen and 1/2 cup raspberries, frozen Blend together ingredients until ice cream consistency is reached.
Serve, enjoy!
Soft Serve Mango
2 cups of frozen mango 2-4 Tablespoons of Organic Heavy Cream or Full Fat Coconut Milk 10 drops of liquid stevia (optional) Blend ingredients in a high speed mixer until smooth and creamy.
Homemade Coconut Ice Cream
Ingredients • 1 pint heavy whipping cream • 1 can sweetened condensed milk • 1 13.5 oz can Coconut Milk • 2 teaspoons coconut extract • ¼ cup sweetened coconut flakes
Instructions 1. Place the heavy whipping cream in a large freezer safe bowl with lid. Beat with an electric mixer on high until the cream forms stiff peaks. Then add all remaining ingredients into the bowl, except the coconut) and combine on low speed until fully incorporated. Top the cream with the coconut flake and seal with the lid. 2. Freeze for at least 4 hours (maybe longer depending on the depth of your bowl) or overnight. Serve frozen topped with more coconut flakes.
CHOCOLATE BANANA SOFT SERVE VEGAN “ICE CREAM”
INGREDIENTS •2 bananas, chopped and frozen •¼ c unsweetened cocoa powder •5-7 Tablespoons non-dairy milk of choice (almond, soy, coconut) •mini chocolate chips optional for topping Blend and serve!
Healthy STRAWBERRY Frozen Yogurt
Ingredients: 4 cups frozen strawberries 3 Tablespoons agave nectar or honey 1/2 cup plain yogurt (non-fat or full fat) 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice Blend and serve!
Or
Healthy PEACH Frozen Yogurt 1 (16-oz.) bag frozen peaches or 4 cups fresh peaches, frozen solid 3 Tablespoons agave nectar or honey 1/2 cup plain yogurt (non-fat or whole) 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice Blend and serve!
Pineapple Whip
Makes 4-6 servings Adapted from ice-cream-freaks.com Ingredients: 1 frozen pineapple, peeled, cored and chopped1 cup almond milk1 tablespoon honey (optional, for authentic sweetness)
Blend and serve!
Skinny Pumpkin Pie
Frozen Yogurt Ingredients (makes 4 1/2 cup servings) 1 cup canned pumpkin 1 cup Greek yogurt (such as Fage) 3 tablespoons honey 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ginger, 1/4 teaspoon allspice. Blend, then freeze in container with lid for 24 hours.
Survivors and their parents are often seen as the victors, and indeed they are. They get to live to fight another day, but as this poem by childhood cancer survivor Yuval so eloquently expresses, it is not an easy road no matter the outcome of your Childs cancer diagnosis.
The Other Side of Cancer
It’s literally a trip through hell. If you are lucky, your journey will be an uphill ride Through Dante’s Inferno.
As you pedal breathlessly toward the top, Stones slam into you from every direction, tearing you to pieces. And deadly fires close in on you, scorching your soul.
The dizzying twists and turns make you sick again and again. And again. Inevitably, you fall from time to time Gathering scars.
But somehow, you climb back on Willingly accepting the painful road As the price of hope.
You are equally tortured Watching the suffering of your peers Who seem to crash down just as you pull yourself up. And you can only pray that they too will be able to get back on And follow in pursuit of the finish line.
Then, by some miracle, you get there To the outer edge of hell. You climb out and anticipate the feel of the smooth ground under your feet.
But you find that the hell hole Remains wide open just behind you. It follows you wherever you go. But the normal people can’t see it. Only those who have been there see the truth.
The normal people congratulate you on your safe return from the netherworld. And then return to their normal business. Expecting you to follow with the same balance and confidence. After all, you are back and it’s time to move on.
They don’t get how treacherous is the invisible precipice; How you never know if and when you might fall back in; How you never stop hearing those monsters taunting from below.
What can you do but try to smile And pray to keep your balance — — Like a tightrope-walking clown. Obligated to keep the masses happy, While unsuccessfully trying not to look down.
Eat Ice Cream For Breakfast Day 