What is The Big Chill?
The Big Chill is our biggest and most exciting fundraising event of the year! Each July, to celebrate National Ice Cream Day, we host a huge ice-cream-themed celebration, complete with live music, food trucks, face painting, and more.
A dozen or so community organizations and faith groups will prepare gallons of homemade ice cream for event goers to enjoy, and at the end of the event, celebrity judges will determine which homemade ice cream is the winner. Event attendees can also vote for their favorite ice cream by donating at that group’s station or on their event fundraising page. The ice cream with the most money raised by the end of the event is crowned with the “People’s Choice” Award.
The other “chill” part of The Big Chill is our “Cold Callers” or ice sitters. They are the folks who take turns sitting on large blocks of ice and calling friends, family, coworkers, and more, encouraging them to donate to The Shalom Project. This July our Cold Callers alone raised over $35,000 to support our programs and client families.
Please save the date for
The Big Chill 2026!
Join us on Sunday, July 18th
The Big Chills of the Past
What started as a small ice cream social among friends has grown into our most beloved event of the year. Check out some photos below of events from the past. We look forward to seeing you in July 2025!
