Donations take off after city closed boy’s ice cream stand fundraiser for special needs team

Twelve-year-old Danny Doherty of Norwood, Massachusetts, just outside of Boston , was bored this summer, so he decided to try making some money by selling homemade ice cream to his neighbors.

His mother, Nancy, agreed, but only if Danny donated half of the proceeds to charity. So Danny chose the Boston Bear Cubs , his brother Patrick's hockey team.

The Bear Cubs are part of the American Special Hockey Association , which gives boys and girls with physical and developmental disabilities (autism spectrum, Down syndrome and similar disabilities) a chance to play hockey at a level adapted to their ability.

However, someone in the community had a problem with the ice cream stand and filed a complaint with the Norwood Health Department. A few days later, the town sent the family a letter demanding that Danny shut down the stand because it violated the state of Massachusetts health code.

Understandably, Norwood follows its rules, but it’s hard to imagine someone filing a complaint against a boy raising money for a special needs hockey team.

“The health department is just doing their job; they’re responding to a complaint. I was more disappointed and kind of shocked that somebody thought that this was something worth complaining about, a little ice cream stand serving 20 people that we know,” Nancy told Boston 25 News.

"I don't understand it. There are so many lemonade stands out there, and they don't get shut down," Danny told CBS News . "It's really disappointing it got shut down." When news of the health department’s decision spread, the Bear Cubs were flooded with donations and a local restaurant, Longboards in nearby Salem, decided to step up and help.

“We saw that article and knew we needed to do something," Matthew Mattera, owner of Longboards, told CBS News . "As a little family ourselves, we always try to set up stands; we're making lemonade stands, making rocks, and trying to sell those. We appreciate small business." The restaurant decided to donate 25% of the proceeds from one of its popular desserts, the Bazookie, and set up a donation jar.

You can donate to the Boston Bear Cubs here .

What began as a massive disappointment for the family has become a blessing in disguise.

“Clearly it’s against Massachusetts food code, we have no intention of continuing, but we really are thankful for whoever tattled on us at this point because now this organization has received so much exposure to the general public and we really hope that this generates other donations for them,” said Nancy told Boston 25 News.

The public's support for Patrick's special needs hockey team has brought a lot of joy to Nancy and her family. "Parenting any child takes an extraordinary amount of work but also an extraordinary amount of unconditional love. My Patrick has been a shining light since the day he was born," she told Upworthy. "I’m so in awe of the overflowing kindness and generosity that has arisen from a discouraging and disappointing situation. I hope our story reminds everyone that sometimes adversity can morph into prosperity and joy."

The story of the Doherty family and the Bear Cubs began as a sad commentary on contemporary society that a kid can’t go out and raise money for charity without someone complaining and the city shutting it down. But, in the end, it shows the triumph of a community and people’s belief in common decency that transcends those who scoff at a kid trying to make a buck.

You can donate to the Boston Bear Cubs at this link.