Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Fresh-squeezed FUNdraising!
Summer is a great time for a lemonade stand. Not only is it fun, but you can also use your lemonade stand to make a difference in the world!
Across the country, kids are raising money with their lemonade stands for important causes like childhood cancer research, our troops overseas, local food banks, and so much more. If this sounds like something you would like to do too, we will tell you how to get started with your very own lemonade stand.
First, here’s the story of one girl whose lemonade stand sparked the creation of a national fundraising organization called Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation:
Alex was diagnosed with childhood cancer just before her first birthday. When she was 4 years old, she told her parents that she wanted to set up a lemonade stand in her front yard. Her plan was to give the money she raised to doctors so they could help other kids with cancer, like they had helped her.
Alex opened her first lemonade stand with the help of her older brother and raised an amazing $2,000 in one day! While bravely fighting cancer, she continued to set up her lemonade stand every year. Word spread of the remarkable girl who was so dedicated to helping other sick children, and people everywhere were inspired to open their own lemonade stands and donate the money they made to Alex’s cause.
In 2004, Alex passed away at the age of 8. She had raised more than $1 million toward finding a cure for the disease that took her life. Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation was started by her parents in 2005 to continue the inspiring work that Alex started.
Since Alex set up her first lemonade stand in 2000 – truly exemplifying the saying “when life hands you lemons, make lemonade” – the foundation has raised more than $250 million for cancer research.
For more information, ask an adult to help you visit the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation website at www.alexslemonade.org.
Get Started
Decide what organization or cause you would like to raise money for. You can ask a trusted adult to let friends, family and neighbors know about your upcoming lemonade stand and who you will be donating the proceeds to.
Make some colorful signs, get paper cups and napkins, and set up your table. Maybe even add some balloons! Make sure you have a safe place to store the money from your sales.
It’s best if you have some help running the stand – one of you can pour and hand out the lemonade while the other person handles the money. Don’t forget to explain to your customers who you will be donating the money to!