[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 121 (Wednesday, July 23, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7145-S7146]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING GIFFORD'S ICE CREAM

 Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, with summer in full swing, I wish to 
celebrate a small business from my home State of Maine that has been 
satisfying our sweet tooth with delicious ice cream for several 
decades. Gifford's Ice

[[Page S7146]]

Cream, a family-owned and operated firm with a long history of dairy 
farming in central and western Maine, provides its customers with 
creamy indulgences for all tastes.
  A familiar sight in Maine, people come from all around to enjoy 
Gifford's dozens of scrumptious, mouth-watering flavors. Serving Maine 
for over 100 years in the dairy business, a span of five generations, 
Gifford's began focusing its operations on summer treats in 1980, 
having previously supplied milk, cream, and other dairy products. 
Presently, Gifford's utilizes original family recipes to create more 
than 100 tempting varieties of ice cream and frozen yogurts. Crafting 
its rich ice cream with premium ingredients, including fresh milk and 
cream from local dairy farmers, Gifford's consistently churns out top-
quality ice cream for its customers.
  While its main location is in Skowhegan, known as the heart of 
Maine's farm country, Gifford's has branched out to open ice cream 
stands in Auburn, Bangor, Farmington, and Waterville. Its ice cream is 
additionally available at supermarkets and other locations throughout 
the Northeast. Gifford's employs 25 people year-round, as well as an 
additional 75 during the busy summer months.
  Gifford's offers a wide array of flavors to choose from, including 
seasonal delights and new selections each year. From the staple vanilla 
and chocolate, to the eclectic orange pineapple and smurf cotton candy, 
Gifford's covers all its bases. Furthermore, Gifford's has recently 
added a number of frozen yogurt flavors, such as fudge overboard and 
strawberry banana, as well as no fat/no sugar added options, sherbets, 
and sorbets. Best of all, Gifford's offers quintessential Maine-related 
flavors, such as Maine maple walnut, birch bark, black bear, wild 
blueberry, and even deer tracks and lobster tracks. And while most 
everyone enjoys a good ice cream on occasion, Gifford's hasn't 
forgotten our four-legged friends, offering them Dog Bone Sundaes, 
complete with a scoop of ice cream and a dog biscuit.
  Throughout its illustrious history, Gifford's has garnered numerous 
awards, particularly for its ice cream. Among the recognitions are 
first place awards from the National Ice Cream Retailers Association 
for its strawberry and chocolate ice creams, as well as ``World's Best 
Vanilla'' at the World Dairy Expo in Madison, WI, in 2005 and ``World's 
Best Chocolate'' at last year's expo. The Skowhegan Area Chamber of 
Commerce also named Gifford's Ice Cream its Large Business of the Year 
earlier this year.
  In 2002, Gifford's began Cones for Kids, a program that rewards 
children 14 and younger who excel in academics, advance in scouting, or 
make a difference in their community. From earning an A on a reading 
quiz to volunteering at the neighborhood 4-H club, students can receive 
a free ice cream cone by enriching their lives through a host of 
positive and engaging activities.
  What has made Gifford's so successful both in the dairy business and 
at its ice cream stands is a passion for pleasing its customers. 
Setting out to create new flavors of ice cream every year, whether it 
be apple pie or peanut butter caramel cookie dough, Gifford's has 
transformed itself from a small dairy farm to Maine's largest 
statewide, independent, family-owned ice cream company. I congratulate 
president Roger Gifford, treasurer John Gifford, and everyone at 
Gifford's Ice Cream for their tremendous success, and wish them well 
this summer and beyond.

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