Before the first hour was over, Herrell’s Ice Cream had surpassed last year’s “Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day” total – by a lot. The event, hosted Saturday by the parlor to benefit Hadley-based organization Whole Children, was bustling with kids, parents and college students alike.

With coffee donated from Share, donuts donated from Glazed and ice cream ingredients donated from a number of other sponsors, ice cream lovers were able to choose options ranging from earl gray ice cream to waffle sundaes and mulled cider.

Brittany Brown, development and communications coordinator for Whole Children, was there representing the organization.

“Whole Children provides (kids and teens of all abilities) with an opportunity and platform for them to really shine,” she said. “We’re always looking to expand our class offerings and scholarship fund.”

Northampton Fire Chief Duane Nichols also attended the event, running a donation table. According to Nichols, “When Herrell’s asked us to participate we said, ‘absolutely.’”

This was the Northampton Fire Department’s first year participating and Nichols said it was a “neat thing to partner up with Herrell’s and Whole Children.” He added that it was a great way of “getting the community involved in the department. We can all accomplish a lot of great things.”

Herrell’s owner, Judy Herrell, felt personally compelled to support Whole Children because of her own experience with a learning disability. She has “mirror-vision,” a form of dyslexia.

“For somebody who is different, you’re bullied and picked on or laughed at – you’re excluded. I mean you’re even pulled out of class to work in another room sometimes. It’s all about exclusion,” she said.

In contrast, Herrell believes that “Whole Children completely fosters inclusion.” She cited the integrated classes and programs as an example saying, “That’s how we should be”

“Herrell’s is also a place of inclusion,” Herrell added. “You, no matter who you are or what you look like or what you believe, you are invited to enjoy Herrell’s.”

What makes Herrell’s ice cream so enjoyable? According to Herrell, it’s all in how it’s churned.

Low air content created by slowly moving the dasher creates a type of ice cream known as overrun, resulting in a thicker and richer dessert, she said.

Herrell attested to her dairy experience saying, “Let’s be real, I didn’t ride a horse first, I rode a cow.”

In fact, her favorite flavor, root beer, was made especially for her birthday by the parlor’s founder, Steve Herrell, in 1985.

Local celebrity scooper Jarrett Krosoczka, author and illustrator of a graphic novel series for kids featuring a heroic lunch lady, chose banana and peanut butter as his favorite flavors.

“I was very disappointed to learn that orientation didn’t involve taste-testing every flavor,” he said of his pre-event training.

Not that much training was necessary as one of Krosoczka’s jobs growing up was scooping ice cream, and according to him, the event “brought me right back to those days.”

While this was Krosoczka’s first time participating in “Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day,” he has been involved with Whole Children before, donating artwork to various auctions and charity events.

According to Krosoczka, the day was “truly (for the) community and that’s one of the best parts.”

“Getting to see the kids’ faces when they get to eat ice cream in the morning is a blast,” he said.

Marie MacCune can be reached at [email protected] and followed on twitter @MarieMacCune.