What Happens When We Stop Limiting Potential?

When doctors handed Marianne and Billy the news that their newborn son Blake had Down syndrome back in 1996, one medical text cruelly suggested an "expiration date" for his life. Fast forward nearly three decades, and Blake has not only defied those limitations—he's shattered them while building a legacy that's changing minds across the country.

Blake isn't just Sanger's first business owner with Down syndrome. He's a hometown celebrity who's been football captain, prom king, opened the New York Stock Exchange, had his logo featured on NASCAR vehicles alongside Fortune 500 companies, and inspired state legislation. His snow cone business, Blake's Snow Shack—approaching its 10th anniversary—has become both a beloved local institution and a powerful platform for changing perceptions.

What makes Blake's story so compelling isn't just his impressive list of accomplishments. It's the philosophy behind them. As his mother Marianne explains, "Blake has Down syndrome, but that's not who he is." This approach—seeing Down syndrome as just a small part of Blake rather than his defining characteristic—guided his parents to raise him with the same expectations as his older brother. When Blake would say "what about me?" wanting to participate like everyone else, his family made sure he had opportunities.

The impact reaches far beyond Sanger. Through the Blake Powering Entrepreneur Scholarship, Blake helps others with Down syndrome start their own businesses. The Blake Powering Act established October as a celebration month for entrepreneurs with disabilities in Texas. But perhaps most importantly, Blake's story challenges fundamental assumptions about support and independence, reminding us that everyone needs and deserves appropriate assistance to thrive.

Visit Blake's Snow Shack at the corner of 5th and Oak in downtown Sanger, follow them on social media, and experience firsthand how a snow cone business is changing lives one scoop at a time.

You have been listening to The 266 Express, the official podcast of Sanger, TX.  IF you have comments or suggestions, please send them to dgreen@sangertexas.org

Transcript

Meeting Blake and His Story

Speaker 1 0:07

Welcome to the 266 Express. I'm John Noblet, here with my co-host, donna Green. Donna, who do we have with us today?

Speaker 2 0:14

John, today's episode. It's extra special because we're joined by two people who really embody the heart, spirit and determination of Sanger. People who really embody the heart, spirit and determination of Sanger. Most people, most of our guests that have most of our listeners around town, I'm sure have met Blake serving up smiles and snow cones from your very own business, right, blake? Yeah, but for those people who don't know, blake isn't just Sanger's first business owner with Down syndrome, he is also a very much a hometown celebrity. Let's see, you've been prom king football captain. You've been featured in national media. You've appeared in a movie. That's pretty cool. You had your Snowshack logo on a NASCAR Is that right, and let's see You've been.

Speaker 2 1:08

I think you sent me a couple things Citizens of the Year, I mean, is there anything you haven't done?

Speaker 3 1:13

Oh, we got, I'm going to Texas Rangers yeah.

Speaker 4 1:16

He goes to the Texas Rangers. Texas Rangers, yes, that's right, that's right.

Speaker 2 1:22

So we're going to have a pretty exciting day here on the 266 Express.

Speaker 1 1:25

So we've got Blake and his incredible mother.

Speaker 4 1:28

Yes, thank you, marianne, glad you could make it. We're happy to be here.

Speaker 1 1:32

Well, buckle up, right, buckle up, buckle up, it's time for a ride.

Speaker 2 1:37

This is going to be awesome.

Speaker 1 1:38

So glad you're both here. You actually have a third party hiding off in the corner. We'll just wave. If you didn't hear it, he waved. Marianne, can you take us back to Blake's birth and what you remember most about those first few days and what the doctors told you and everything else?

Speaker 4 1:57

Yeah, absolutely A little background. Billy and I are senior high school sweethearts, aw.

Speaker 2 2:06

I love that. I love that yes.

Speaker 4 2:08

And married right out of high school and had our first son I was 20. And then we're like, oh okay, this is easy.

Speaker 2 2:17

We'll do this again. We always get tricked with the first one.

Speaker 4 2:19

We'll do this again. So I was around, I was 25. Billy was 27 and Mitchell was just turning five. So pregnancy, everything was fine. But that evening the doctor came in and said we think he might have Down syndrome. But his physical signs at birth were so low that they had to send us to cooks for a specialist. So we had to wait like seven days, which felt like so heavy. But we also were just like looking at our son like there's nothing going on that we could see, like there's nothing going on that we could see. All of our friends were like what? Because he did not have the typical symptoms at birth. So we go to Cook's and they were amazing and the doctor said that he felt like Blake did have Down syndrome.

Speaker 4 3:22

Okay, I was in complete denial. I didn't even want to go to the appointment. Billy forced us to go to the appointment and I'm like we'll go if we can take the boys to the Footwear Zoo. So I always say we didn't end up making it to the zoo that day. Yeah, and this is before cell phones, this is before Google. This was 1996.

Speaker 4 3:46

So here we are, extremely young now that I look back, with Mitchell five and Blake not even a week your old and we get this life-changing news that we didn't know. And then there are more tests and things. So we were very blessed that the team that we were set up with cooks and we still see them. Blake has been going there. Blake will be 30 in February, oh my goodness. And he has been going there since he was seven days old, nice, just for a routine, just to follow up.

Speaker 4 4:33

So it wasn't like now where you could text somebody or call or you know. It was just so different. So we get home and Billy calls his parents and my parents and there was just a lot of unknown. Okay, that Mitchell was turning five in like two weeks. Their birthdays were like two weeks apart. So we had decided that weekend to after we got the news that we were going to go to the mall and I was like, literally, I know zero about Down syndrome and I know that sounds crazy, but going to Sanger High School, which I love you know I knew more about football than I did biology.

Speaker 2 5:19

So because that's how you have a football coach Plus. You're talking 30 years ago. Right, we've come a long way in 30 years. Yes, yes, yes, yeah. Resources change Resources, a lot. Resources have changed.

Speaker 4 5:31

Totally changed, totally changed. So we go to the mall and Billy takes Mitchell to the arcade and I'm like I'm going to go into this bookstore and I'm just going to try to find a book. Maybe there's a book or something. You know, because I literally knew nothing and I don't know how I did, but I guess just. I mean, we lived here in Sanger, we didn't know anybody that had Down syndrome. It just wasn't in our. I didn't, I didn't know.

Speaker 4 6:02

So I found this book and it was what to Expect when You're Expecting. In the very back they had, like this small paragraph that talked about Down syndrome and it was heartbreaking. It actually said a age that Blake would be expected to pass away and he's not that far from that age now. And but my naive 25-year-old self, I mean, of course I was bawling, but I was like no, I'm not accepting this, I'm not. You know, you cannot put an expiration date on any person, right? You cannot. You know, I just call it naive or whatever. But it served us well. So I was like this is what we're going to do. So I took Blake and we just sat in the middle of the mall and just, you know, and that's what we've done. We've always been like we're not going to keep him from the world. We let him live his life and just pretty much follow his lead.

Speaker 2 7:17

What a life he's living right, yes. You had mentioned. I think I'd read it somewhere and, by the way, I wouldn't know anything about.

Speaker 3 7:28

Downs. I don't think anybody does, and you have Google. Okay, you can use Google Exactly. You're probably caught off guard like any parent would have been.

Speaker 2 7:37

But you'd said that Downs was such a small part of who Blake is. So how did you keep that mindset and that confidence?

Speaker 4 7:44

all this time. Well, I go back to my 25-year-old self, whenever Blake was seven days old, because it is. Blake has three sets of the 21st chromosome. 21st chromosome is the smallest chromosome. You know. The rest of us in this room we only have two 21st chromosomes, but that small extra chromosome affects every gene. That's where people with Down syndrome. They have similar characteristics, but they're still individuals and I think that's what served us well is because we were like okay, we're doing a pretty good job with our first one, let's just continue that with Blake. Okay, so that's what we did. And one thing I knew is Blake and, of course, barney, was really big back then. It was like he had to learn how to mind his manners, even if it took, you know, more coaching and teaching. He had to know how to be in social settings. He had to know how to, you know, just function in the world. So, yeah, that's where I say it's just a small. Yes, blake has Down syndrome, but that's not who he is, right, right, blake.

Speaker 1 9:15

Yeah. Well, Blake clearly had great success. We were just talking about a lot of the items that you've been involved in. Was there a moment growing up where you just in your mind you said, hey, blake, is, is, is going to beat all all of this, all the expectations that people have tried to place on it. Right, I, I, I'm not buying into that anymore.

Blake's Birth and Early Diagnosis

Speaker 4 9:40

Yeah, yeah, we early on. And I think it did help having an older brother, because Blake would always always say because he always wanted to be like his big brother, like who doesn't you know? And he would always say what about me? So my husband and I had to have all these conversations Okay, what about Blake? What are we going to do?

Speaker 2 10:07

He was advocating for himself at a very young age. Yes, yes, great yes.

Speaker 4 10:10

And so we knew early on, once Blake graduated, one of us would have to retire and there would be some sort of something. We just didn't know what yet. So we had been planning for years. But Mitchell played football, so Blake wanted to be on the football team. So of course we go to Coach Galbraith and he's like absolutely, and Blake became the football captain, right? Yeah and we lived for those Friday nights and the whole community loved it and, yeah, it was great. It was great.

Speaker 2 10:46

So so tell us um. How did Blake's snow shack? How did it come about? Where did that come from? Okay?

Speaker 4 10:55

so Blake's senior year. He was working over here at the barbecue Barbecue.

Speaker 2 11:01

Yes, he loved it.

Speaker 4 11:02

He loved it. He was working there with Mindy and Jay and they loved it. The community you know they love Blake.

Speaker 2 11:11

We are very blessed.

Speaker 4 11:13

There's a joke in our family that Blake is Singer's community sign he's not just our sign.

Speaker 4 11:22

And so that was amazing. But then they closed and Mindy called me and it was heartbreaking, because then we're like, what's Blake going to do? We just did not know. And one thing that touched my heart so much is because he would get up, like because he would work like during the week, but then he would work every saturday too. Um, he got up and he was starting to get ready for work and I had to tell him I was like but they closed the restaurant. Yeah, his first words were what about Jay, what about Mindy, what about Mama? And he was talking about all the other employees, everybody else.

Speaker 4 12:06

Yeah, he was so concerned about them, what they were going to do, and I was like they'll be okay. And then we just, you know, talked it out. So he was graduating, that was like May 2015. So we're like, okay, we're going to take the summer off and we're going to figure this out. Okay, and we at this point we'd had quite a bit of involvement with, like, the National Down Syndrome Society, Dallas Down Syndrome Guild. So you know, we had updated our technology, so we knew a little bit more.

Speaker 4 12:51

So we were just looking at different business ventures and we're like Downtown Singer did not have a snow cone business. Okay, so we were looking at costs to start up. You know all of this stuff. And I told Billy, I'm like I found this concession trailer and it was already like built out and I said we're going to go buy it. And I'm like I don't know yet what we're going to do, but we're doing it. So that's pretty much Billy's life. So we literally went and bought the trailer just on faith. We didn't know where we were going to print it, we didn't know what it was going to look like or anything, but we're like this is what we're doing, because we felt like we had to act. We had to put in that work and, you know, take action. So we went and purchased the trailer Driving home from the uh, when we purchased the trailer is when we came up with the idea of like snowshock, and then we started all of our legal work to, you know, get our business incorporated and all of that jazz and um.

Speaker 4 14:10

We had thought, okay, well, we'll probably just use the trailer to go to different events or something. And then we started doing research on snow cone things and machinery that Blake could use and that would work. Well, there was this lot on the corner of 5th and Loc, owned by some very kind people, and I felt drawn to that lot and I told Billy, I go, I want to ask them about printing the snow shack there. And Billy's like no. So I called them anyway. I called them anyway and we set up a meeting and these very kind gentlemen that do not like to be recognized, that love our son. They opened it very generously.

Speaker 1 15:19

And that's where it started. That's where it started right there now. You had to apply for the permits, everything and you get to go before the city council. Those guys am I right? Yeah, yeah, what was that like?

Speaker 4 15:29

oh, it was fine. I mean, we like. So we did the research, we had all of the paperwork beforehand. And yes, because you know at this time Singer really wasn't this whole food truck type Theory was new. But the bottom line was for everyone involved was Blake needs a job. Not only needs a job, he wants a job Because at the time he was dating a girl.

Speaker 1 16:05

Oh, look out.

Speaker 4 16:07

And he needed money to go on dates.

Speaker 1 16:09

Oh yeah.

Speaker 4 16:10

Right. What do you spend your money on now? Game Going to games.

Speaker 3 16:15

Now he spends them on Ranger tickets.

Speaker 4 16:18

So everyone was in agreement and that that would work. So we had our opening day, may 2016, with thousands of people, oh wow, downtown. It was amazing. And then we had media coverage. We had an ad agency out of Dallas that they've adopted us and they do all of our stuff. Anything that looks cool, they do for us.

Speaker 4 16:56

And we, what else happened? I feel like, okay, so, yeah, so we are coming up on 10 years, so we're getting ready for our next year. Get ready, in May We'll have a big blast. Wow, 10 years and we've blinked. But well, another thing too I need to say is we were getting all this outpour and people wanting us to come. Well, we only had that one trailer. We're like, okay, so I'm like Billy, we're getting another trailer, so we got another trailer.

Speaker 2 17:27

It was just along for the ride. He's like whatever.

Speaker 4 17:29

He saw operations so we got another trailer. But then I was like I want something that shows that we appreciate our community support. And you know, it was never about snow cones, it was never about making money, about changing mindsets of people, you know, that do have Down syndrome, and so we started the Blake Powering Entrepreneur Scholarship and it goes through the National Down Syndrome Society. So every year we get applicants and we help others start either Etsy store or some of them have started, they're like a popcorn vendor or you know just different things.

Speaker 4 18:28

So it's just, you know, giving those parents that, OK, hey, we've been there, We've done this. It's a lot of hard work, but here's the scholarship. So we wanted that and that will be our family's legacy.

Speaker 3 18:44

That we believe in that is wonderful.

Speaker 4 18:46

Yeah, and it goes through the National Down Syndrome Society. Yeah, national Down syndrome society has been amazing. Blake opened up the New York Stock Exchange for them. Wow, how was that?

Speaker 2 18:57

Was that fun?

Speaker 3 18:58

That was fun.

Speaker 4 18:59

Yeah, you like going to New York.

Speaker 3 19:01

Vegas, vegas, there we go.

Speaker 4 19:06

You do not want to hear about Blake's Vegas story.

Speaker 1 19:09

Maybe later.

Speaker 4 19:12

Let's just say he danced so much he had to be use a wheelchair through the airport because my son likes to have a good time right, yeah, yeah me too socks john yeah, his best friend and john's crazy socks.

Speaker 3 19:34

I love it.

Speaker 2 19:34

Yeah, so you said that you've actually had people across the world reach out to you. So what's that response mean to you so much?

Growing Up and Advocating for Himself

Speaker 4 19:46

So much Because I was that mom. I mean, we, this is how far back and I feel so old now. But we got a paper newsletter from the Down Syndrome Society. That was the only connection you know, which I do, kind of think probably served us a little bit better because, like I said, we were, blake was just thrown in with his brother and his cousins and just you know figuring it out. But whenever I have a mom reach out to me, I'm like it's going to be okay, it's going to be okay, it will be, it will be yeah.

Speaker 1 20:30

Yeah, I mean, and I think that probably has a lot to do with just having faith in your faith. What role does your faith play? Oh gosh.

Speaker 4 20:39

We, especially now, when we're on the back I can.

Speaker 4 20:45

There's like a vision. I can see where. When we first got the diagnosis and all four of us were just in this wide hallway you know how hospitals are and we just felt like or I did, I felt so alone. But then we know that we weren't alone. You know that God has been with us from day one. And just the past that Blake, I mean things that have came Blake's way. You can't. I mean it's only God that lays it out. I mean I don't know anyone else. Well, he was the first person in history with Down syndrome to open the New York Stock Exchange, and that doesn't just happen. I mean he was on a NASCAR right beside Eminem with Fortune 500.

Speaker 4 21:46

We're a little snow shack in Sanger, Texas, and he's right beside major Fortune 500s. That doesn't just happen. So there are very many people and whenever we you know society, are like oh, there's so many bad people, but there are so many good people, and that they want to help and they want to find some sort of purpose, and I think that's where Blake's story resonates with them.

Speaker 2 22:24

So what about the future?

Speaker 4 22:26

The future, yeah, the future, the future, oh well, okay, so we didn't purchase. There was a bus, it was First Baptist Church of Gainesville, their bus, and probably 2019. We purchased the bus because we're like, you know, pulling the trailer is just a lot for Billy, not for me, and so we purchased that. And then we started talking to an automotive classroom and didn't. And they wanted to take the bus and he's like will you let us take the bus and use that as our senior project? And so what they did is they would email us proposals and then we would purchase the items and they actually outfitted this church bus to the Chillmobile that you'll see tomorrow.

Speaker 3 23:30

Yeah, that's what I would call it.

Speaker 4 23:32

But, too, like those high school kids, they were just so kind. They went to Blake. They're like Blake really needs a gaming system in here because in case he needs a break. I'm like, no, blake needs to work. They were looking out for him. That's all that is. One thing, too, that I wanted to share is early on, not so much now that people will ask us, and this is a valid question. I want to be an open book and I want people to ask and I don't get offended or anything, but they go can Blake run the Snowshock? And I say, well, let's look at it. I don't run everything in my work. If my computer goes down, I'm calling IT.

Speaker 4 24:22

If we actually look. Every single one of us has some sort of support.

Speaker 3 24:30

I mean, you do not do it on your own, I do not do.

Speaker 4 24:36

I do pieces, but I don't do everything on my own. So I'm like, yes, blake knows how to make a snow cone. He knows his flavors, right, bub. Yeah, mom, yeah, and he knows our little setup and our cleanup and all of that. And he knows like our little setup and our cleanup and all of that. We do joke that if you give like a 20, he's not going to give you change.

Speaker 4 25:00

We don't know if it's a learning process or he's just a Texas businessman. Yeah, it's a good business here, so it's just opening. Yeah, that's true, it's just opening and changing that mindset that, okay, blake may need this support. But really, what support do I get, you know, at my job?

Speaker 1 25:27

Yeah, you're right. I mean from communities to churches, just to teams, yeah, I mean it's impossible.

Speaker 3 25:33

You're right. One person.

Speaker 1 25:35

If one person is that talented that they can handle everything involved, bully for them and have yet to meet them.

Speaker 4 25:41

Right, so, yeah, yeah, so, but it's they just automatically sort of default that he can't. Yeah, and there's his big brother is such a great advocate for it for him, but he's like there's nothing that blake cannot do, you know yeah, and we we see that my wife is very involved in the special olympics in cook county and some other places and that the mindset is a is a huge problem, that we, that we, uh, that we don't always get past, and it's it.

Speaker 1 26:14

And sometimes it has to do with education, which is really what this is about. Right, educating people about other people, right as a whole, and the impact is huge and what you have accomplished together is huge. There's some legislation that was passed in Texas. Can you tell us about that?

Speaker 4 26:34

Yes, Well, there's a few things, Blake, and I do, you like, greg Abbott.

Speaker 3 26:40

Oh yeah, I do, he loves his representatives, he loves politics.

Birth of Blake's Snow Shack

Speaker 4 26:44

Both my boys love politics and I do too. We worked on a bill with a disability group in Austin about the wages, because there were so many people that were going to these workshops and only being paid like 25 cents an hour and people just don't, you know, they think, oh, they're automatically given federal minimum wage and they weren't. And these people that had these contracts, they were given the contracts without competing through the state because they were using individuals with disabilities but the individuals weren't being paid a federal minimum wage. So that is one blessing too is that I do have a son that's five years older. So I can say why should my eldest son be guaranteed $7.50 an hour and Blake not Make that make sense? It doesn't, it doesn't make sense. You know it doesn't, it doesn't make sense. And once you lay that out, so that passed and they had worked like eight years. So I was very proud of that. That passed. So but then, more recently, with Tan Parker Do you like Tan Parker?

Speaker 4 28:13

Yeah, and of course, jarrett, we love Jarrett too. They passed the Blake Powering Act, which is October. We have a celebration day for entrepreneurs with disabilities, so that's the most recent act that we've been involved in.

Speaker 2 28:41

So, blake, what about you? What's your favorite snow cone flavor? Bacala, yeah.

Speaker 3 28:50

Bacala.

Speaker 2 28:53

And do you sell a lot of those? Do you tell people that's the best one?

Speaker 3 28:58

A cake you cook, wedding cake.

Speaker 4 29:00

A wedding cake. Oh yeah, yeah. What's your Bubba's?

Speaker 3 29:04

favorite Cream of milk.

Speaker 4 29:06

No, is it tiger's blood?

Speaker 3 29:09

Oh bad.

Speaker 2 29:09

Tiger's blood, tiger's blood, tiger's blood, yeah yeah, that's kind of neat.

Speaker 1 29:14

Well, I can get a Dole Whip now too, right?

Speaker 3 29:19

Yes, yes, yes, Pineapple cherry.

Speaker 4 29:22

Yes, pineapple, cherry, yep, Strawberry.

Speaker 3 29:28

I do. I would say a color yellow.

Speaker 4 29:33

Yeah, his brother just got married and oh, congratulations Hi.

Speaker 3 29:38

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 4 29:41

And the maid of honor was Andrea, and Blake has a crush on her. Oh, okay, so there you go, I told you, if Blake had a mic, he's going to spill all the tea, yeah.

Speaker 2 29:51

Well, I mean, that's why he needs that job. He's got to take care of these women. Yeah, I was thinking when he said he's spending his money on bank tickets now instead of girls.

Speaker 1 30:00

I thought that's a better investment but, you can never get away from it all he can't.

Speaker 3 30:05

He can't. I know about a great Vegas San Antonio in Pisa, yeah.

Speaker 4 30:16

His bubba and Carla went to Vegas and then we came back and had a party. You're a singer, right?

Speaker 3 30:22

Yeah.

Speaker 4 30:23

Yeah.

Speaker 3 30:24

I'm a game, but daddy.

Speaker 4 30:27

Yeah, yeah. So Blake is a fourth-generation singer. So our deeps, our roots, our deeps, they're deep, yeah, I notice he's sporting the purple. Yes.

Speaker 1 30:39

For sure. The question came up earlier about country music and your favorite country artist.

Speaker 3 30:47

Yes, I got called to say Holly.

Speaker 4 30:56

Yeah, parker McCollum, and he's married to Holly. But what about Willie Nelson? Oh, yes, yes.

Speaker 1 31:03

Everybody loves Willie, yeah, willie.

Speaker 4 31:11

We went to his ranch and went to a concert.

Speaker 2 31:18

Yes when we stayed in a hotel yeah. So you were actually in the country music video, right, were you in it?

Speaker 4 31:28

Yeah, he was in one for Zane Williams.

Speaker 3 31:34

Yeah him, zane Williams, zane Williams.

Speaker 4 31:35

Yeah, him and the. It was like a picture of Blake with the football team, because Blake would run out with the football team. Wow.

Speaker 2 31:43

Yeah, you're well connected.

Speaker 3 31:47

He's a good friend and this thing I go back and meet, I go boss and I would take that ball. Yeah, yep.

Speaker 2 31:56

Yeah, yep, yep. So if you ever get to meet George Strait and you want somebody to go, with you, right, I'm happy to.

Speaker 4 32:03

He loves George Strait. Yeah, me too. Everybody loves George. Yes, yes, yes.

Speaker 1 32:09

I would recommend taking Donna with you to meet George. Strait though She'll embarrass you.

Speaker 2 32:13

I probably just have a heart attack and die. I know, I know, I know.

Speaker 4 32:16

That's how I felt when we walked into the New York Stock Exchange and they had pictures of Lake everywhere. And I'm in finance and I'm like I need some water.

Speaker 2 32:28

I'm about to faint. Pretty exciting. That's an intimidating place. It's a lot, it's a lot, it's a lot.

Speaker 3 32:34

Yeah, it was neat.

Speaker 4 32:39

Tell them he likes Donald Trump.

Speaker 2 32:42

That's who he was.

Speaker 4 32:44

He's politicians.

Speaker 2 32:46

Yeah, maybe politics are in your future. Yeah, yes, yes.

Speaker 4 33:00

I don't know how to say. The National Down Syndrome does a really good job about advocating so. Every year before COVID we would go to DC and you actually meet with your congressman and talk about different issues and Congressman Burchess was always amazing to us talk about different issues and Congressman Burchess was always amazing to us and he actually recognized Blake on the House floor before and he was just always informed about anything Down syndrome related. We've had short little meetings with Ted Cruz but we've had more interaction with Congressman Burgess and Blake just met Congressman Gill last week.

Speaker 2 33:42

Wow, congratulations. Yeah, have you met Donald Trump.

Speaker 3 33:46

There you are. I see a bike say I agree Yay, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 33:51

Awesome, he would like to. Yeah, that'd be yeah.

Speaker 4 33:54

Awesome, he would like to.

Speaker 2 33:55

Yeah, that'd be pretty cool yeah.

Speaker 1 33:59

So now you said you're going to have a big celebration on 10 years. What does a day look like at Blake's Snowshack?

Speaker 4 34:12

They pretty much have their routine, which that's another thing too is we always hire like a high school student or you know a neighbor, and we have like three simple rules for them to be on. Blake's team is number one they have to vibe with Blake, you know, they have to be able to chill with Blake, and that would be cool. And then they have to treat our customers like amazing, like just do everything you can to, because without our customers we don't have a business, and so we do that. Then, number three don't steal from us. So I mean, it's simple, it's simple, it's simple. Three simple things, three simple rules. So we have just, you know, our regular setup and then we try to have like different movie nights or things here at the location here in Sanger, but then Blanket's called out to go to events and private events as well.

Speaker 2 35:19

You're pretty popular.

National Recognition and Achievements

Speaker 3 35:21

I was in. Yeah, I'm on AC6. Yeah.

Speaker 4 35:31

Great he's in Gracie with Doggy. Treats was his first scholarship winner.

Speaker 1 35:39

Oh nice that's awesome.

Speaker 2 35:41

Yes.

Speaker 3 35:42

Is he, I dare say, behind?

Speaker 4 35:46

Yes, and we met Paul Ryan with him.

Speaker 3 35:49

Yes, he's dropping names.

Speaker 2 35:53

He's dropping names, he's willing. That's dropping names, he's willing. That's all I'm saying.

Speaker 4 35:57

Yeah, I'm getting a little jealous, yeah, that's what I'm thinking, yeah, yeah yeah, marianne, you, you.

Speaker 2 36:05

You're very open to Sherry's story and. I think that's wonderful. There's not a lot of resources for people out there like that, but so what's the the big thing that you want people that hear your story to take away from you? Um?

Speaker 4 36:21

that like isn't a burden at all. He's not. He doesn't suffer from Down syndrome. You hear those terms a lot. He, I mean he's just amazing. I mean he's a highlight.

Speaker 4 36:39

I mean I'm very blessed to be his mother, I'm very blessed to be his mother and I just want people to be encouraged to think for themselves and not follow what society, because if we followed society, society would say, okay, blake needs to be in some sort of government assistance program or something. No, you don't have to follow what other people are saying, and I'm not taking away from families that their disabilities are much more greater. But you have to look at your child as an individual in what their needs are and you have to do that with both. You know, I mean I always say that I'm a different mother to both my children at different times, because even Mitchell, that doesn't have an extra chromosome, he still has different needs. You know it's part of just mothering and not letting the so-called specialist or reading in a book the age that your child is going to die. That's so wrong, that's so wrong you know.

Speaker 4 38:04

So that's so wrong, that's so wrong, you know. So that's my thoughts. Not that I'm an expert, but that's how we pretty much run our household.

Speaker 1 38:13

I mean, I would argue that you probably are an expert. I mean there's a lot to say for for walking a road that a lot of people don't you know, and so that that type of experience certainly qualifies you all as experts and and it's fantastic, we're very pleased you're a part of the community and I it makes my heart happy to know how you help others, because that's just what we all hope for, is that we get a little nudge over the hump there and that we appreciate each other for who we are.

Speaker 1 38:50

Right yeah, absolutely yeah.

Speaker 2 38:56

So people who want to support Blake Snowshack, tell us again where you're located and how to get a hold of you and all the things. And where you're located and how to get a hold of you and all the things.

Speaker 4 39:03

So on social media, all of the media channels are like Snowshock and we're located on the corner of 5th and Oak and just come and chill right.

Speaker 3 39:21

Oh yeah, fine night. Okay, so all right, fine night.

Speaker 4 39:25

No, that's tomorrow night. Tomorrow night For Freedom Fest.

Speaker 1 39:29

Ice Fix and Ask we're going to see you tomorrow for Freedom Fest.

Speaker 2 39:33

We got you a great location.

Legislative Impact and Advocacy Work

Speaker 4 39:44

That's one thing, too, is, whenever we go back to that, changing the mindset. It's like okay, if I'm just meeting you, I'm going to say, oh hi, this is my career, this is the area I work in. That's what Blake is able to do now. You know, those are social conversations that just start. He's like Blake Snowshack you know, and we see that confidence in him because he knows that you know, because that's general society, that's what you do. Is you talk about premature employment?

Speaker 3 40:23

Yeah, that's part of your identity. Employment yeah, it's part of your identity, yeah.

Speaker 4 40:36

Yes, you like Christmas.

Speaker 2 40:38

That's my favorite. You love all of those.

Speaker 3 40:40

And Halloween.

Speaker 4 40:42

And Halloween, halloween.

Speaker 3 40:44

He loves.

Speaker 4 40:44

Singer.

Speaker 1 40:47

All of those are you're talking Donna's language right now. Yeah, you say I love christmas, I love halloween.

Speaker 2 40:51

I know we're doing this year. That's the theme, so it's fun. We have truffle trees, yes it's so much fun.

Speaker 1 40:59

Don loves christmas, yeah the most wonderful time of year.

Speaker 4 41:02

Yes, it, it's so much fun. It's so much fun and, like I said, we just go with the flow and we just have a good time. I mean, there's nothing serious about snow cones, I mean.

Speaker 2 41:14

It's fun. Snow cones are fun. You can't tell a fat man that.

Speaker 1 41:20

I think, snow cones are very serious.

Speaker 4 41:22

I'm like it's just yeah.

Speaker 1 41:26

I've looked so forward for us for this time of year because you've always worked with us on a little bit of employee appreciation which we do, and we always. We always get our snow shack coupons and if I get any extra I try to hoard them in my office so that I can get an extra snow cone. You should cut him off at one, yeah, so so yeah so we're so glad that you could be here today, cone.

Speaker 1 41:45

You should cut him off at one. Yeah, so, yeah, so we're so glad that you could be here today. Thank, you.

Speaker 2 41:49

Thank you so much for coming by to see us.

Speaker 3 41:50

I'm excited to see you tomorrow.

Speaker 2 41:53

It's going to be great.

Speaker 4 41:57

Any final words of wisdom Support Singer Business. I mean, we have amazing business. We have amazing downtown.

Speaker 1 42:16

I love seeing all the people out like at the.

Speaker 4 42:17

Moonlight Market, the Farmer's Market, and it just warms my heart, you know, seeing, because that's how we grew up is everything was downtown and everybody came downtown for everything. Might have met my husband downtown singer. I'm not sure.

Speaker 2 42:34

Possibly so that's Operations master.

Speaker 4 42:40

Yes, so that's what I would say is just you know, embrace what we have and be a positive part of that.

Speaker 2 42:50

Thank you guys so much for coming, thank you.

Speaker 1 42:53

Well, you've been listening to the 266 Express. I'm John Knoblet.

Speaker 2 42:57

I'm Donna Green.

Speaker 1 42:58

Thanks for listening in to what's going on in our small little North Texas town.