By Andy Furman
NKyTribune Reporter
Richard Weaver can’t wait.
The 58-year-old native of Greenbrier, Arkansas, will be making a trek to Northern Kentucky next week for the Kona Ice Konvention.
But Weaver, just might have other plans.
“I’m a real big Cincinnati Reds fan,” he told the Northern Kentucky Tribune, “And I just love visiting their Hall of Fame and Museum. In fact,” he continued, “that Pete Rose exhibit makes me shed a tear. I grew up a Reds fan.”
Richard Weaver
The Konvention – planned for the Northern Kentucky Convention Center – is set for February 2-5. “It’s only for our franchises, and not open to the public,” he said.
Some 1,200 Kona Ice franchisees and franchise employees will travel to Northern Kentucky from 49 states and Canada to share ideas and sales techniques at the Konvention.
As for Weaver, he joined Kona Ice in 2011 as the franchise owner of Kona Ice Conway and Saline in Arkansas. Six years later, he became a member of the Kona Ice Ad Council.
And prior to his involvement with Kona Ice, Weaver was a Field Service Rep for a mortgage company.
“Yup, I knocked on doors, and collected money from people who were behind on their mortgage.”
So how do you go from a mortgage company to selling Kona Ice?
“Well, I was a contractor with the company,” he said, “and when they told me I had to take a 30 percent pay cut, it was time to go – and I started looking at possible franchises.”
As for the Kona Ice connection, Weaver says it was by accident.
“I just felt a certain connection with Tony (Lamb), the company’s founder and CEO,” he said.
Today, Richard Weaver owns three units and three territories. “I just love the business. I’ve never seen anything like this in the United States. I’ll drive our Kona Ice truck up to a nearby playground, and you’ll see every kid rush towards the fence. That picture never gets old.”
What never gets old is the monetary and clothing donations Kona Ice and its franchisees prepare for Fairhaven Rescue Mission – a Northern Kentucky non-profit organization that provides Christ-centered programs and services that respond to the physical, spiritual and emotional needs of the homeless and hurting men, women and children.
“Last year,” Weaver said, “We donated clothing as well as $11,000 in cash to Fairhaven.”
The giveback initiative, born nearly four years ago at the company’s annual franchise convention, is rooted in Kona’s philanthropic mission and values.
A Kona Ice mini trailer will be parked across the street from the Northern Kentucky Convention Center commencing Wednesday, February 1st – through Friday, February 3rd – to serve as a collection spot for the franchisee-led, ‘Shirt Off Our Back’ campaign.
Fairhaven Rescue Mission provides food clothing and other services to the community’s needy and disadvantaged. Located on W. Pike in Covington, it also has a thrift store. KONA Ice franchisees, meeting in NKY next week, are collecting your gently used clothing during their national meeting.
“The giveback campaign is a clothing donation drive for Fairhaven Rescue Mission,” Weaver said.
For the past several years, Kona Ice franchisees have brought gently-used clothing items to the Kona Ice Konvention and donated those to their organization. This year, members of the Covington community are invited to donate their own clothing items – in addition to the items donated by franchisees – at the corner of E. River Center Boulevard and Madison Avenue.
“As Kona Ice business owners, we each find ways to give back to our respective communities,” said Weaver, who spearheads the individual giveback initiative. “More than a thousand franchisees make Covington their home for several days throughout Konvention, so it was only natural for us to find a way to give back to this community while we’re here.”
And this the ‘Shirt Off Our Back’ campaign was born.
The 2023 Kona Ice Konvention is themed “Wild Wild Kona” and will be filled with new learning opportunities for Kona franchisees to drive business, grow community relationships and advance business goals, according to Weaver.
With its ongoing dedication to making a difference in local communities, Kona now has more than 1,400 trucks on the streets and a total of 1,500 operating service stations nationwide. The brand has given back morse than $100 million in total donations since its founding in 2007.
“We are incredibly proud of Richard and our franchisees who lead the giveback initiative, and it’s been remarkable to watch it grow over the past several years,” said Tony Lamb, founder and CEO of Florence-based Kona Ice.
Richard Weaver will make Northern Kentucky home next week – hopefully he’ll have time to sneak away and see he beloved Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum during his stay.
