The 15th annual Ice Cream Wars was held at the Da Vinci Science Center at PPL Pavilion in Allentown, Pa., on Saturday, January 10. The competition featured 12 Lehigh Valley businesses that created unique ice cream made with liquid nitrogen. The event showcased “sweet science” through interactive demos, providing a crash course on how liquid nitrogen turns milk into creamy ice cream.
ATAS’ entry this year was “Minecraft Creeper Crunch,” which was a deconstructed Dubai chocolate bar/cake. The ingredients included birthday cake ice cream, candied pistachios, chocolate, pistachio butter and kataifi. The flavor won the award for the “Most Unique Flavor Overall.” The Minecraft theme carried over into the ATAS team’s event space, with a colorful backdrop, team t-shirts, table decorations, shovel spoons, pickaxe pencils, and a blockhead costume. Led by team captain Julie Wheeland, co-captain Wendi Kirchner assisted her and many other ATAS team members helped to make it a success.
A record breaking more than 2,200 people attended the event, and most were sampling every flavor before casting a vote for their favorite. Although the event is held in the winter, it offers a opportunity for families, couples, and individuals to come out and participate in this community event, while also exploring the Da Vinci Science Center’s educational exhibits.
Eric Bus, operations manager of ATAS, currently serves as a trustee on the board of the Da Vinci Science Center, following the long-standing involvement of Dick Bus, president of ATAS, who also served on the board for many years. ATAS has actively supported the Science Center through participation in programs such as Career Connections Days and the WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) Forum.
