When COVID-19 sent twins Brackett and Sarah Hardy and their friend Jack Douglass back home to Lake Rabun earlier this year, the trio of college students developed a vision to spread cheer to those on the lake by launching an ice cream boat.
“My twin brother Brackett Hardy and I met Jack Douglass when we were 4 years old playing T-ball for the Marlins and we remained friends over the years,” said Sarah Hardy. “When we graduated from high school, Brackett and I both went off to school at Davidson College and Jack went his own way to Washington and Lee.”
Sarah Hardy is a rising junior at Davidson College, where she plays D1 women’s Lacrosse for the Wildcats.
Brackett Hardy also attends Davidson College and is a paddleboard instructor.
Jack Douglass is a rising junior at Washington and Lee University, who says his favorite part about summer is spending time at Lake Rabun with friends and family.
Sarah Hardy explained how the vision came into being.
“When Covid-19 sent us packing home, we found ourselves living back at Lake Rabun together again,” she said. “After our internships and jobs were cancelled for the summer, we decided we should do something to spread a little joy in the place we love most. Jack has always talked about having an ice cream boat, and after taking an entrepreneurial class in early June I brought the idea up with the group and the next week Marlins Ice Cream was born.”
The trio did not simply stop at the neighborhood convenience store to purchase ice cream products to sell.
“We’ve partnered with Honeysuckle Gelato from Ponce City Market in Atlanta as well as King of Pops, and we are selling their products with an array of simpler items,” Sarah Hardy said. “Our hours and days vary depending on the weather and boat traffic, but weekends are a safe bet.”
The ice cream boat will be on the water with King of Pops and Honeysuckle Ice Cream Sandwiches beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday, July 4, until sold out.
“We wear gloves, accept Venmo, and deliver your ice cream on a stick to promote Covid-friendly business practices,” Hardy said. “Our Instagram is @marlinsicecream, so follow us for updates on dates and times.”
