Anderson Co. family serves scoops and smiles for a cause

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - An Anderson County family served ice cream on Norris Lake with all proceeds collected and donated to send kids, teens, and adults with special needs to camp and other programs.

Steve Johnson’s eldest son, Will, has autism. The 22-year-old aged out of Anderson County High School last year. He went from being a part of the cheer team and having a supportive school staff to staying home with his dad full-time.

“It was hard to kind of watch him not have all that interaction anymore,” Johnson said, “We needed something that was fun but would kind of have him confined too because he kind of likes to wander.”

That’s when Will decided he wanted to do something different.

They talked about an ice cream truck, but that was too expensive, but the family already had a boat and Norris Lake at their fingertips. They changed course and thought to try their ice cream selling skills there. It gave Will something fun to do, helped him meet new people and spread awareness about others with disabilities.

“This has just been awesome,” Johnson said.

All the supplies are donated. The ice cream costs $3 a popsicle, but people often said keep the change or make donations. So far, they’ve raised nearly $5,000 to give back.

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