Meet Jacoby Zebinski, a 12-year-old baseball enthusiast from Selkirk who is hitting it out of the park with his love for the game and ice cream. Lucky for him, for the next two months, he gets to combine his love for both with the Fête Ice Cream & Coffee fundraiser.
Jacoby, who has cerebral palsy, will be starting Grade 7 at École Selkirk Junior High this fall, alongside his twin sister Addison.
“Jacoby loves all sports,” explained his mom Vanessa Zebinksi.
Living with cerebral palsy doesn’t stop Jacoby from embracing all sports, but baseball holds a special place in his heart. His knowledge of players, rules, and teams is unmatched.
“Jacoby knows the ins and outs of all the players, the rules, the teams,” added his mom.
The entire Zebinksi family loves to play baseball. One of Jacoby’s favourite activities is watching his Dad, Tyler, play senior hardball in Dugald.
Jacoby is very social and loves to be around people.
This year, he is the Children’s Rehabilitation Foundation’s (CRF) ambassador.
CRF is a non-profit organization based in Manitoba, dedicated to supporting young individuals with disabilities and their families. Through fundraising efforts, the foundation aims to provide these youth with necessary specialized equipment such as bikes, sports wheelchairs, communication devices, and other resources.
As part of CRF’s community connections, the team at CRF wanted to partner with a local business to create an ambassador-inspired treat.
“We approached Fête, and they jumped at the opportunity to collaborate,” said Marketing and Communications Specialist Simone Dowhanik.
Dowhanik explained that Fête, a local ice cream shop in Winnipeg, is community-driven and that they have had outstanding experiences in past collaborations.
“We think the work they are doing is inspiring and helpful to so many families,” said Fête owner Teri-Lynn Friesen, who said CRF’s work is magical and life-changing.
“It’s really cool the things they do to help make kid’s lives as full as they can,” added Friesen.
Fête and CRF first collaborated in 2023 when they created the successful Braelynn’s Unicorn Extravaganza.
“We nearly raised $3,600 last year and are hoping to meet or exceed this amount this year,” said Dowhanik.
Fête Ice Cream created a unique ice cream in honour of Jacoby.
During the months of July and August, Fête Ice Cream will be featuring Jacoby’s Grand Slam Sammie on their menu, with 20 per cent of the proceeds returning to CRF.
Jacoby’s Grand Slam Sammie is vanilla frosting-flavored ice cream with sprinkles between two honey-graham cookies. This Dunkaroo-inspired sandwich is a sweet treat the whole family can enjoy.
When Fête Ice Cream presented the ice cream sandwich to Jacoby, he was immediately on board.
“It’s really awesome that families can enjoy a sandwich that is kid driven,” said Vanessa Zebinksi.
The ice cream sandwich perfectly “captures Jacoby’s spirited personality and love of baseball.” Dowhanik added.
Anyone interested in trying Jacoby’s Grand Slam Sammie can visit Fête Ice Cream & Coffee, located at Unit B, 300 Assiniboine Ave. in Winnipeg.
The sandwiches are priced at $5 apiece and will be offered until Aug. 31.
Friesen encourages businesses, sports teams or large groups to book an ice cream party.
CRF offers complimentary delivery of orders with 25 or more sandwiches within Winnipeg. Parties must be arranged in advance through www.crf.mb.ca/event/fete-ice-cream-coffee.
Smaller parties may be arranged through Fête Ice Cream & Coffee.
For more ways to support CRF, visit their webpage to donate directly.
