King of Pops is raising money to give 10,000 pops to healthcare workers fighting COVID-19

The goal is to give an "unexpected moment of happiness" to those fighting the outbreak

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King of Pops
King of Pops

Photograph by Mary Thomas/Courtesy of King of Pops

Like everyone else in the service industry, King of Pops has had their operations interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, shuttering their pop shop at Ponce City Market and their roaming carts. But the self-proclaimed happiness purveyors aren’t letting that stop them from celebrating their 10th anniversary by bringing 10,000 unexpected moments of happiness—in the form of pops—to healthcare workers.

“We want to give pops to someone who would be particularly in need of a momentary smile,” says King of Pops cofounder Steven Carse. “It’s a moment of someone doing something nice for them.”

12-pack of pops

Originally, Carse had celebratory parties and giveaways planned in honor of the company’s 10th anniversary, but when the pandemic hit, he and his brother, King of Pops cofounder Nick Carse, pivoted the focus to bringing joy to those on the front lines. They launched a GoFundMe campaign with the goal of raising $25,000 to pay for 10,000 pops to be gifted to hospital and urgent care workers. At the time of publishing, the fundraiser has amassed more than $5,300. It will be live through April 10.

Though the fundraiser won’t support the company’s furloughed part-time workers (there’s a separate fund for that—you can donate here), it will keep their 33 full-time employees busy, as well as help use up the company’s existing four-week supply of pops.

King of Pops chili and popsicle delivery

Courtesy of King of Pops

King of Pops is still selling pops directly to customers, albeit in different ways from its usual carts around town. The Inman Park popsicle window is open and delivery is available for bundle orders. The bundle includes three popsicles and a quart of vegan chili for $20. (The chili recipe comes from the company’s entry at previous Chomp & Stomp chili cook-offs.)

Carse says he’s also working on ice cream delivery for his soft serve. For now, it’s available for pickup at Wonderkid in the Atlanta Dairies development.

Lastly, the popreneur is partnering with several other local businesses and launching a website this week to sell local products such as Doux South Pickles, Banner Butter, and Pure Bliss Organics energy bites.

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