HILLSBOROUGH -- HILLSBOROUGH -- Behind the counter at Mapleview Ice Cream on Monday afternoon there was a kind of cheerful chaos. Nearly a dozen smiling volunteers twisted and turned, gracefully maneuvering around each other to scoop and top ice cream for a seemingly unending stream of customers.
Earlier in the week, Muffin Brosig, part-owner of Mapleview, started telling people that all proceeds from Monday's sales would be donated to relief efforts for victims of Hurricane Katrina.
No formal advertising was done, but an e-mail announcing the donations spread around the community like wildfire. On Monday, hundreds of people showed up and lines more than an hour long wrapped around both the downtown Carrboro and Dairyland Road locations of the ice cream shop. The Hillsborough location also participated in the fundraiser.
"I am definitely impressed with the community response," Brosig said as she worked the cash register at the Dairyland Road location.
At 5:30 Monday afternoon, with more than 100 people still waiting outside to be served, Brosig said they had already sold more than $5,000 worth of ice cream, milk and other dairy treats.
After the catastrophic tsunami struck Indonesia in December, a similar effort by the dairy brought in more than $3,000 Brosig said.
"It makes me feel good to do this," Brosig said. "My goal is $10,000 and there's no way we as an individual company could come up with that much. Ice cream is a good fund raiser."
Brosig said she isn't sure which relief agency will get the money, but she hopes to find a local one to support.
For some people, giving money wasn't enough. The staff behind the counter Monday were all volunteers, mostly regular customers of the ice cream shop.
"The portions aren't always right and ice cream isn't always in the right bowl, but people are helping and that's what matters," Brosig said.
Outside, a Dixieland band played as families, couples and friends sat on every available surface, enjoying their cones and sundaes.
Dave Krull drove more than an hour from his home with his wife, four children and friend in tow.
"We knew this place served good ice cream and it was a good time to try it because it is for a good cause," Krull said, after waiting 30 minutes in line.
Eleanor Morris, of Westwood, said she waited more than an hour, but the rewards for her wait were sweet.
"I like ice cream and I wanted to support the victims, refugees and poor folks down in New Orleans," Morris said in between licks of her waffle cone. She said she was so excited about the shop's charity efforts that she bought extra, and opened her purse to reveal no less than four packed pints inside.
Allie Scales, who sat nearby on a rocking chair with her husband Ian, aid the feeling of community coming together for a common cause drew her in.
"We come here at times when we need comfort," Scales said. Her husband added, "It's just great to see this many people turn up."
Barbara Roeder and Thava Mahadevan said they brought their three children to Mapleview so they could feel they were contributing to the efforts.
"I was a refugee coming out of Sri Lanka in 1983," Mahadevan said. "I never expected there to be refugees in this country."
His son, Max Mahadevan, who is in second grade at Glenwood Elementary school, said that while he loves ice cream, he really wants to be able to help children who are victims of the hurricane.
"I see the kids evacuating on the news," Max, 7, said while wiping a thick chocolate ice cream mustache from above his lips. "I just want to do whatever will get me involved."
