Scooping ice cream brings fun(ds) for parish

By LAUREN LECLAIR- | Comments: 0 | Leave a comment

Rev. L. Edward Deimeke is a veteran Air Force chaplain, a retired priest and a regular ice cream scooper.

The retired pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary parish in Watervliet was still serving there when he was approached four years ago by Tom McDonald, owner of Mac's Drive-In restaurant in Watervliet.

Mr. McDonald, a parishioner at Blessed Sacrament Church in Albany, had occasionally attended IHM and had gotten to know Father Deimeke. He offered a deal to the priest: If Father Deimeke would scoop ice cream at Mac's for a few hours, 10 percent of all proceeds from that day would be donated to IHM.

Ever since, Father Deimeke has been putting his scooping skills to work a few times a year for fundraising nights. "It's a win-win," the priest said of the "Scoop-a-thons." Each time, people flock to Mac's to see Father Deimeke hard at work -- which means more business for the drive-in and more money for the parish.

During his three-hour shifts, the priest's white t-shirt gets a little stained, but the "Mac's Drive-In" logo and the embroidered word "Chaplain" on the front still stand out proudly. Peeking over the top of the t-shirt is his Roman collar.

This isn't Father Deimeke's first rodeo: Back in high school, he worked at an ice cream stand. Volunteering now takes him back to those days -- when he has time to think between orders, that is.

"It's very hectic," he explained.

On the other hand, there are perks: "I can have a scoop for myself whenever I want."

The priest confessed that "Garbage Pail" is one of his top flavor choices at Mac's. It's an electric-blue selection popular with kids that's actually vanilla ice cream with Oreo cookie bits and cookie-dough chunks.

"I get it whenever I go there," he admitted. He's also a fan of Mac's blackberry frozen yogurt.

Most retired priests in the Albany Diocese continue to serve parishes by celebrating the sacraments, but Father Deimeke has also been steadfast with his "Scoop-a-thons." His last one was in June.

In addition to helping a friend and his former parish, he also likes to see new people and old parishioners as they stand in line waiting for a dish or cone.

Besides, he said, "It's just fun!"[[In-content Ad]]