When tragedy hit, the Stice family didn’t just endure—they pushed through and kept their business going against all odds. FirstBank’s Acts of Goodness program allows its employees to assist customers and communities in need. Through this effort, the bank was able to provide support to the Stice family while also highlighting their small business.

Meet Darrel

Darrel Stice is a long-time FirstBank customer and co-owner of two Arizona-based food truck concepts, Snowy Churro and Dr. Froyo. Darrel took a leap of faith and left his career as a math teacher to pursue this new venture. Since forming Stice Creations in 2021, Darrel has expanded his original Snowy Churro truck to include two supplementary trailers and a newly added frozen yogurt and shaved ice truck (Dr. Froyo). The new food truck operates out of a refurbished emergency response vehicle, and is playfully coined a “froyo response vehicle,” coming to the rescue with cold treats. Both ventures offer sweet and frozen desserts, including churros, ice cream, and edible cookie dough.  

While Darrel has been selling sweet snacks across The Grand Canyon State, tragedy struck when his wife, Mary, received the news of her mother’s passing, and shortly after, her sister was diagnosed with stage four cancer. With emotions at an all-time high, Darrel persevered and continued to run the business while his wife devoted time to her family. As if a family tragedy wasn’t stressful enough, the fuel line on one of Darrel’s trucks broke en route to an event. After learning about his recent struggles, Brennon Albrecht, Phoenix Branch Operations Supervisor, wanted to help.

“Through all of this, Darrel has remained his usual wonderful, caring, kind self and continues to hold hope,” Brennon said.

The Surprise

To celebrate Darrel’s determination and support his small business, FirstBank hired Dr. Froyo to serve delicious treats for a customer appreciation event and covered the catering costs for its nearly 30 attendees.

The bank also provided several monetary gifts to Darrel, including $1,300 to assist with the fuel line repair and $1,000 towards his sister-in-law’s medical bills. While Darrel was “in the know” about the event, the additional gifts were a complete surprise.

“The Stice family has always brought kindness and positivity with them wherever they go, making them beyond deserving of an Act of Goodness,” said Brennon. “One of the biggest things that makes me proud to be a FirstBanker is our “banking for good” mission, which allows us to do what’s right for customers, communities, and employees. Being able to help the Stice family was an amazing experience that will stick with me forever.”

“It takes courage to pursue your passions, even if that means leaving a long-term career. We admire Darrel’s audacity and positive outlook, especially given his recent family challenges, and we wanted to rally together to support him,” says Humphrey Shin, FirstBank Phoenix Market President. “We’re thankful to everyone who helped make this moment memorable, and we continue to seek out meaningful ways to bolster small businesses throughout our community.”

At the end of the day, it takes strong will and dedication to do what you love, especially in the face of adversity. That’s why FirstBank is dedicated to making a difference one “Act of Goodness” at a time.

To read more heart-warming stories from our Acts of Goodness program, visit efirstbankblog.com.

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