WHEELING, W.Va. — The 2026 Celebrity Scoops Tour is officially underway, bringing together local leaders, business owners and community members for a sweet fundraiser benefiting the United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley.
The annual event kicked off Wednesday at Dupes Scoops in Wheeling, where local celebrities traded their day jobs for ice cream scoops while raising money for programs that support families throughout the region.
Visitors were encouraged to leave donations in the tip jars of their favorite celebrity scoopers, with the individual collecting the most tips earning the event’s coveted “Golden Scoop” award.
Among Wednesday’s participants was Dupes Scoops owner Luke Duplaga, who even faced off against his father, Mike Duplaga, in a friendly tip-jar competition.
Duplaga said events like Celebrity Scoops highlight what makes the Ohio Valley special.
“It’s a close-knit community, and people always come together to support one another,” he said. “Organizations like United Way help people in need, and we’re happy to be part of that.”
United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley Executive Director Staci Stephen said Celebrity Scoops continues to be one of the organization’s most successful annual fundraisers.
She credited the event’s popularity to the combination of community involvement, local celebrities and, of course, plenty of ice cream.
The 2026 Celebrity Scoops Tour includes five stops across four Ohio Valley counties throughout the summer.
The next stop is scheduled for this Friday from noon until 3 p.m. at Flurry’s at Grand Vue Park in Moundsville, where another group of local celebrity scoopers will compete to raise money for United Way programs serving the Ohio Valley.
