OXFORD – Hoppie’s patrons will be filling more than their stomachs this Thursday when they indulge in the tasty treats the ice cream parlor has to offer. They will be helping fill the coffers of Pumpkin Shell Nursery School. Ten percent of all sales from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday will go to the local school.

Hoppie’s owner Danielle Williamson will be introducing a special sundae for the event. The Pumpkin Shell Sundae will consist of soft vanilla ice cream, fresh strawberries and a chocolate covered banana topped with whipped cream, nuts and a cherry. The limited edition dessert will stay on the menu for the rest of the summer.

Williamson, who attended the nursery school herself, decided to host the fundraiser after registering her own daughter for Pumpkin Shell. “As soon as I walked in the room, memories came flooding back,” she said.

Pumpkin Shell Nursery School, located in the United Church of Oxford’s Fort Hill building, has been educating Oxford pre-schoolers for more than 37 years. The program is a parent cooperative, meaning that all decisions are made by a board of parent volunteers. “All parents have a voice in what happens,” says Linda Meek, who begins her 20th year teaching Pumpkin Shell this fall.