Sanibel ice cream shop hopes to give message to visiting vice president

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Outside of the ice cream shop in Sanibel Island. (Credit: WINK News)
Outside of the ice cream shop in Sanibel Island. (Credit: WINK News)

Sanibel’s Best Homemade Ice Cream is hoping a scoop of its new, delectable dessert, starting on Friday afternoon, can make an impact on eliminating our Southwest Florida water crisis.

Laurie Verme, who owns Sanibel’s Best Homemade Ice Cream, said water quality is near and dear to her heart. She is donating all the proceeds from the shop’s new ice cream, Dolphin Tracks, to Captains for Clean Water.

Verme has made trips to Tallahassee to support the non-profit, which advocates for the elimination of large-scale Lake Okeechobee discharges into the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie River Estuaries.

“Our chamber, as well as our community,” Verme said, “have really stepped forward in going up to Washington.”

Verme told WINK News that the launch on Friday, coinciding with a visit by Vice President Mike Pence, is a happy accident. She said it would be wonderful for him to stop by as he is a “great supporter.”

Gloria Garrett, a huge supporter of Captains for Clean Water, said the “heart” of the island depends on having clean water. She said clean water is vital to the economy and affects the Everglades and healthy estuaries.

“What I’d like to say to Vice President Mike Pence,” Verme said, “is come on down, come on down and have some Dolphin Tracks!”

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