Deja Moo has always been more than just an ice cream and coffee shop (you haven’t lived until you’ve had their jalapeno popper sandwich for lunch). With two locations in Springfield and White House, they’ve built something special—a place where the community comes together. But when one of their own, a sweet five-year-old girl named Cora, was diagnosed with leukemia, they knew it was time to do more than serve up scoops.
They needed to rally their town for something bigger.
Cora is no stranger to generosity. Before she was sick, she celebrated a birthday at Deja Moo by raising money for dogs instead of asking for gifts. That’s just the kind of kid she is. And when Deja Moo saw that same spirit of giving reflected back at them, they knew exactly what to do.
The Plan: Love on Cora Day
Deja Moo had the heart, but they needed a plan. That’s where Small Town Startup stepped in - to take their vision and turn it into a community-wide movement.
Together, we created Love on Cora Day, a one-day fundraiser on February 1, 2025 that brought businesses across Springfield and White House together to support Cora’s family.
More than 25 local businesses jumped in without hesitation, each finding their own way to give. Here’s just a few examples:
- Deja Moo spread the word and hosted the event at both locations, plus donated 10% of their total revenue. Their incredible staff also donated all of their tips to Cora, too!
- Colorado Grill and All Seasons Grill donated 10% of their total revenue that day—and even bought shirts for their entire staff to show their support.
- Premium Food Delivery donated money for every order placed using the code CORALOVE.
- Small Town Startup donated stuffed dogs that people could “adopt” for $10, with all proceeds going directly to Cora’s family.
- Krazy W Farm brought baby sheep to cuddle (we tried to steal them. Office sheep, anyone?)
- The Magic Dog Bus showed up with fluffy, four-legged friends and was the perfect place for the dogs from Small Town Startup to be adopted in!
And those are just OUR clients that participated. Special shout out to NP Clinic, Mr. Tamale, White House Nutrition, White House Florist, The Hole, Thompson Printing, Hometown Nutrition, White House Pizza Pub, Tate Ornamental, BNI of White House, Molipazzo, Prosperity Mortgage, Mark Reid Insurance, Empire Lock, Hitchiker Toys, Double Dogs of Gallatin and Contractors Group who generously donated in-kind items, sales percentages or did flat donations for Cora!
We also blanketed the town with flyers, covering every table at Deja Moo, Colorado Grill, All Seasons, and beyond. It was impossible to go anywhere that day without seeing Cora’s story and having an opportunity to donate directly to her GoFundMe page. (Which you still can do here!)
The Results: A Small Town Shows Up in a Big Way
Our original fundraising goal was $10,000—a bold number for a small-town effort. But small towns have big hearts. By the end of the fundraiser, we had raised more than $17,000—a 70% increase over our original goal.
The Heroes Behind the Scenes
This couldn’t have happened without the generosity of the businesses and people who stepped up, but a special shout-out goes to Amy Williams from the Small Town Startup team. She was the heart and soul behind this initiative on our end, leading with passion and purpose. And of course, Karl and Roni Hawes of Deja Moo, who believed in this idea from the start and trusted us to bring our magic while they so graciously tapped into their own magic, too!
At the end of the day, that’s what makes small towns special. When someone is in need, we show up. We don’t just talk about community—we are the community.
And Cora? She’s the strongest little fighter we know. 💛 Scoops for everyone!
