L.A. public radio host Jesse Thorn had been thinking for some time about what it would feel like to give away 1,000 ice-cream cones.

He found out earlier this month when he ditched his MacArthur Park radio studio in favor of a boutique ice-cream shop in Denver, where his show is popular.

There, he and a few friends completed his goal of giving 1,000 ice-cream cones for free to nearly everyone in sight of the shop Aug. 3.

Thorn, 32, was joined by podcast co-host Jordan Morris; together they record the comedy program “Jordan, Jesse, Go!” Thorn’s pop culture program, “Bullseye,” airs on KPCC.

Listeners and fans financed it all with $9,785 in donations through Kickstarter to buy the treats, fly Thorn and the others to Denver and pay a small film crew to capture the six-hour ice-cream giveaway.

This week, they’ll release a video of the antics on their website, MaximumFun.org and YouTube.

Thorn hopes the video goes viral, but said the experience of giving away the ice cream and making someone’s day better was the best part.

“It was such as joy,” he said. “Everything else is gravy.”

For Sake’s Sake

Graham Gill doesn’t fancy himself a chef, but that hasn’t stopped him from entering his second cooking competition.

The 28-year-old asset manager at Long Beach property management firm GRG Management Services is preparing for his second annual one-night charity cooking event benefiting Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach. The event pits him and his team against five other groups to cook up some appetizers in front of more than 200 people. Audience members then taste all the starters and vote for their favorites, using tickets they paid for at the door.

Last year, his team members raised the most money – $15,000 – through tickets and other fundraising but didn’t win for best dish. They made baked brie cheese bites in a puff pastry with cherry preserves.

So this year, Gill plans to take home both top honors. His team is searching recipes to create something Asian-themed, “so we can serve sake,” he said. Because, at a charity event where you’re asking for money, “it’s a good idea to get people loose.”

The fourth annual event will be held in December at Bogart & Co. restaurant in the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center.

Staff reporters Jonathan Polakoff and Jacquelyn Ryan contributed to this column. Page 3 is compiled by editor Charles Crumpley. He can be reached at [email protected].