Ice Cream Trucks Compete To Raise Funds for Nonprofit

Emblazoned with orange and yellow flames, b.good’s black shake truck, Harvey, took its position a few feet from the blue and green Ben and Jerry’s truck on Dunster St. yesterday.

The two Harvard Square favorites were competing on the street that separates the stores in an ice cream truck battle, a contest to fundraise for the b.good Burger Brigade.

The truck that collected the most donations would claim the title of ice cream truck champion. The results of the competition will be announced on Saturday.

The Burger Brigade is a group of 20 college students, including 10 from Harvard, that is collecting donations for the nonprofit organization Back on My Feet, which promotes the self-sufficiency of the homeless by encouraging running as “a means to build confidence, strength and self-esteem,” according to their website.

On Monday, the Burger Brigade also plans to run the Boston Marathon to raise funds for Back on My Feet—dressed in burger, French fry, and sweet potato fry costumes.

At the competition, Ben and Jerry’s gave out free scoops, while b.good served milkshakes. Both asked for donations.

“B.good is more efficient, and they have the burger army,” Sylvia Ko ’12 said when asked who she thought would win the battle.

But as the line next to the Ben and Jerry’s truck grew longer, Kara M. Smith, a student at Berklee College of Music, said that it looked like it would be the winner.

“Ben and Jerry’s gets more hype because it’s commercial,” she said.

Vidya B. Viswanathan ’11, who is a member of the Burger Brigade and a former Crimson news editor, said that the group’s goal is to raise $18,000, which will allow 10 people to become a part of the Back on My Feet community.

According to Jon J. Olinto, a b.good co-owner, the students decided to run the marathon for Back On My Feet after a customer called him asking if he would support the organization.

The students have been raising funds for the past six weeks through various fundraisers organized with the help of Olinto.

Last year, Olinto issued a challenge to Ben and Jerry’s via twitter to determine which treat—b.good’s milkshakes or Ben and Jerry’s scoops—would be the ice cream champion, generating the idea for the event.

As Marathon Monday approaches, the burgers and fries are preparing to cross the finish line for Back On My Feet.

Elizabeth A. Miranda ’11 sported her burger suit, the outfit she will wear during the run, at the competition yesterday. She said she was happy to finally be running the marathon, something she had wanted to do since her freshman year at Harvard. But with little training in the costume, Miranda said she was nervous.

“It’s a burger,” she said. “It will be an experience.”