It was the scariest thing ever walking up the huge wooden staircase backstage to get to


the ‘den’, I couldn’t believe we were going to be in the den.


The young brothers – J.R., Dawson,


Joseph and David – were already local ice cream legends when they appeared on the television show in mid-November and secured $100,000 for a 20 per cent share of their Screamin’ Brothers business from “dragons” David Chilton and Arlene Dickinson. The four brothers seem to be in real life


just as they appeared on the television show - polite, knowledgeable, charming and passionate about their product. The coconut milk-based ice cream,


originally developed by J.R. as a treat for Dawson, who is allergic to gluten, dairy, eggs, peanuts and soy, provided a way for them to help less fortunate children following the devastating Haiti earthquake in 2010. The Wikkerink family had recently


adopted Joseph just before the earthquake struck. The tragedy delayed the arrival of the youngest family member David, who was stuck in the wake of the devastation, his orphanage destroyed and living in a tent. Both J.R. and Dawson knew they needed to do something to help. Together they began selling their product


at farmers’ markets and independent grocers in 2010 to raise money for the children living in the orphanages in Haiti. The allergen-free product was a hit with


local consumers. By April 2013, several local stores and restaurants, as well as all Save On Foods locations in Alberta, were selling the product. The country’s largest distributor of natural, organic and specialty food items, UNFI, also now carries the product. Securing the venture capital from the


Dragons helps the brothers move the family- operated company to the next level. “We’ll use the financing to


build our brand awareness in Ontario and on the West Coast and to build our inventory for these new markets,” says Dawson, who is the company’s chief financial officer and a grade nine student at Lethbridge Collegiate Institute (LCI). As longtime fans of the CBC


hit show, the boys consider it an honour to have been able to make an appearance for the show’s taping on April 3. Then they had to keep the secret of whether they got their financing commitment until the program aired in mid- November. “It was the scariest thing


Bridge – lethbridge’s lifestyle magazine 7


ever walking up the huge wooden staircase backstage to get to the ‘den’,” says J.R., now a 15-year-old grade 10 LCI student. “I couldn’t believe we were going to be in the den.” Currently the boys sell 10 different


flavours, including Key Lime, Mint Chocolate and Orange Pineapple, in 473 ml. tubs or 70 ml. bars. They are planning to expand the product line to include a variety of fruit and veggie frozen smoothies called Rhythm Pops this spring. The Screamin’ Brothers popularity is due


not only to the delectable product line but also to the triple bottom line (TBL) philosophy they follow, says Dawson. “People, planet and profit - it’s how we


run our business. We believe in giving back in any way we can,” he says, referring to the accounting framework known as the three pillars of sustainability or the triple bottom line, that is based on social, environmental (or ecological) and financial parts. According to the figures given to the


Dragons, net profit for 2012-13 was $105,000 and the boys say they are on track to make about $450,000 this year. To this day, the boys give five per cent of


net profits to children’s charities both locally and internationally. Environmentally conscious as well, all the


waste byproducts from production at their CFIA-inspected facility at their family acreage south of Lethbridge is composted. Even the refrigeration on their delivery trucks is powered by electricity, helping reduce their carbon footprint. Ingredients are organic, fair trade and


sourced locally whenever possible, and only pure extracts are used for flavouring. The paper cartons and lids are made in Canada and recyclable in regions where milk cartons are recycled. Non-ice cream merchandising has also


begun with two types of knitted head gear – a toque and a beanie featuring the Screanin’ Brothers distinctive logo – now available for purchase through their website at www.screaminbrothers.com. Both are made in Canada and are 100 per cent cotton,


Dawson is quick to point out. J.R. and Dawson say their appearance on


the Dragon’s Den program was a learning experience for all of them and isn’t one they’ll soon forget. “Public speaking doesn’t come naturally


to me, so I had to really practice and work at that before our appearance on the show,” Dawson explains. J.R. says Dawson likes sitting at the


computer crunching numbers, while he likes to get out and meet people and do the selling. “We contrast each other perfectly,” says


Dawson. Younger brothers Joseph and David say


they are perfectly happy to be product testers. As for long term future plans, such as


what they will do when they graduate high school, J.R. says they’ll have to “see where the company takes them before making any decisions.”


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