The cool September air crackled with anticipated outside of the Kenhorst Dairy Queen on Tuesday night Sept. 16, where Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett hosted a meet and greet as part of his 2014 campaign for reelection against Tom Wolf, the state’s Democratic candidate.
Corbett’s presence attracted admirers and protesters alike, and his audience included a set of four-legged friends, a pair of pageant girls, and a diverse age group ranging from children to the elderly, creating a true community atmosphere.
Once inside, Corbett quickly jumped behind the counter, where the manager of the Kenhorst Dairy Queen Hamid Chaudhry showed the governor how to operate the soft serve machine. Corbett jokingly stated that he might be liable to make a mess of the chocolate dipping sauce, a key component of his favorite treat. Because of the increase in traffic, some of the night’s proceeds went to Crime Alert of Berks County, a non-profit, volunteer organization which helps police departments to solve crimes and apprehend criminals.
In addition to wielding his new found soft-serve talent, Corbett signed autographs for children and took photos with families in attendance, making an effort to connect with the community and, in particular, Dairy Queen’s young employees, many of whom told the governor about their plans for continuing education. Corbett also fielded questions and concerns from those involved in the public school system, many of whom are still concerned with its continuing budget cuts.
He also received a great deal of appreciation from those in the disability community, for whom many of his policies have changed their lives for the better.