“The day I bought the truck and was driving it home she chased me down wanting ice cream. I promised her that when I started out she would be my first and she was,” Laurie Demers said. She is at left with McKenna Brooks of Ogdensburg.

By JIMMY LAWTON

OGDENSBURG -- City residents young and old can once again get ice cream on the move as Rainbow Ice Cream is back in business under new ownership.

Ogdensburg resident Laurie Demers said she decided to purchase the truck on a whim last month.

“A longtime family friend had the truck for 30 years and I saw they were selling it, so I decided to buy it,” she said.

Demers can be seen and heard most nights along the streets of Ogdensburg peddling a wide variety of frozen treats. She said she puts updates on her Facebook page, Rainbow Ice Cream, when she is out on the street.

“I don’t really have a set route, I kind of get pulled in different directions depending on where people are,” she said.

Demers says it's not long after she is on the road that she is flagged down by children.

“I didn’t expect it to be this demanding, but it’s a great problem to have,” she said.

She says there is a joy that comes from selling ice cream to people, because people are always happy when they are getting ice cream.

“It’s very therapeutic,” she says.

Demers says she is striving to continue the tradition of quality service her longtime friend Kathy Schuman provided when she owned the truck.

“They had a great reputation with the public and the health department, they really took care of it,” she said of the 1972 ice cream van.

Just a few weeks into the job, Demers said it’s hard to keep up with demand. She is expecting a particularly busy weekend as the Seaway Festival continues with fireworks and a parade around the corner.

“I really appreciate the support people have given me. It’s made me feel good that I am making people happy,” she said.

Demers said she carries old-fashioned hard ice cream and offers a variety of sundaes, sno-cones, and flurries.

To track down Rainbow Ice Cream visit https://www.facebook.com/RainbowIceCreamTruck or hit the streets of Ogdensburg after 5 p.m.