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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nPops doesn\u2019t represent Good Humor\u2019s history for the fun of it. He represents its history because he resonates with it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Good Humor began in 1920 when confectioner Harry Burt created a chocolate coating for ice cream. At first, Burt’s daughter found the treat too messy. His son suggested freezing sticks used for Jolly Boy Suckers into the ice cream, giving birth to a convenient handle for the dessert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shortly after creating the Good Humor Bar, Burt equipped 12 street vending trucks with freezers and bells, creating a summer tradition he knew would outlive him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think, just to me, it’s a kind of success story,\u201d Pops said. He explained that he was just a guy in the 1920s who created some ice cream flavors and put together some trucks to start a business that is now a million-dollar company, Lever Brothers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The bells used in the Good Humor trucks often had their own unique stories, with the first set originating from Burt’s son’s bobsled. Good Humor Bars have been sold out of an array of vehicles, from tricycles to pushcarts to the iconic ice cream trucks that grace Lynchburg’s streets today \u2014 all by friendly men in black and white captain\u2019s hats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pops is the kind of guy who can stand behind a story of innovation, family values, and hard work \u2014 especially one that ends in ice cream. <\/p>\n\n\n\n “I dress up as the Good Humor man. I have a white hat, red and white shirt, black bow tie, and white pants. So when I go out, I’m actually going out as the Good Humor man,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The intention is clear \u2014 to serve ice cream and transport his customers back in time to when the Good Humor man was more than an ice cream vendor \u2014 when he was a cherished part of the neighborhood. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBack in the day, with the Good Humor company, you had to actually go through a class to learn how to greet people, how to tip your hat to the ladies, how to salute the gentleman when they came, and how to get the kids across the street \u2014 that kind of stuff,\u201d Pops said.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n The trucks aren\u2019t easy to come by. In 1976, when Good Humor sold its fleet, there were around 2,000 trucks in the country, according to Pops. Now, there’s about a hundred left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After looking for quite some time, Pops bought the trucks in 2021, fulfilling a childhood dream after retiring as a real estate broker at 66. For the past year, he has dedicated his days to his passion: delighting children and serving sweet nostalgia to older residents who fondly remember the Good Humor trucks from their childhoods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLast year, I did pretty much four or five days a week,\u201d he said. \u201d But this year, I’ve had a lot of trouble with the trucks. I’ve had to put motors and transmissions in ’em, new brakes. You name it, I had to do to it.\u201d Nevertheless, Pops persisted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lynchburg’s response to Pops’ sweet endeavor has been nothing short of heartwarming. Children light up when they see the Good Humor trucks, and parents and grandparents fondly recall their own childhood experiences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI’ve had one lady [who] got an ice cream and started crying because it brought back such good memories,\u201d he said. \u201cPeople say, \u2018I love what you’re doing. Thank you for doing that \u2014 for bringing something like that back. That’s something we need.\u2019 \u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n As summer ended, he said he donated his remaining stock of Good Humor ice cream (about a thousand pieces) to the community. But not because he\u2019s done being a Good Humor man. He only gives away his remaining stock so that he can start with the freshest, highest-quality products next summer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For Pops, this endeavor is not about making money but keeping the old and creating new memories. \u201cI don\u2019t do it to make money. I don’t mind making money, but it’s something that I enjoy doing,\u201d he said. \u201cThe response I get from the kids and the older people [is] something I really enjoy.\u201d GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" IN THE heart of Lynchburg, a retired real estate broker, affectionately known as “Pops,” orchestrates a sweet revolution, one ice cream bar at a time. Armed with two iconic Good Humor ice cream trucks, each boasting a proud history of 55 to 57 years, Bob Jacobs is turning back the clock to fulfill a childhood […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":20760,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20756","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/lynchburg-va\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2024\/01\/Screenshot-2024-01-18-at-11.26.49-AM-1-1024x680.png\")
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