Stewart's Shops Honors Philly Dake With Free Ice Cream

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Stewart's Shops is treating its customers to free ice cream Friday, June 8 in memory of Phyllis "Philly" Dake, a company icon who passed away recently.

Stewart's Shops employees will hand out free, single-scoop Philly Vanilla ice cream cones from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at all of its 328 company locations. There is a limit of one per customer, according to a company release.

"Philly had a positive attitude that was contagious, and the ability to look at life through other people's point of view," the company stated. "That ability may have been the motivation for the Make Your Own Sundae. She knew people would enjoy an ice cream sundae even more if they made it the way they wanted it. She was right and a Stewart's signature dish was created."

Her commitment to Stewart's Shops goes back decades. Philly Dake was the widow of Charles S. Dake, an original owner of the company. She spent 50 years with Stewart's and was an executive vice president when she retired.

Philly Dake was involved in many charitable causes, including the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Hospital, Saratoga YMCA, Cornell University, Sienna College and the Community Hospice. In addition, she created Stewart's MYO (Make Your Own) scholarship program, which has given away nearly $2 million to 211 company employees to help them pay for college during the past 13 years, as CSNews Online previously reported.