The enticing sweetness of a seasonal favorite and the compassionate heart of a child combined to raise $600 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis on Saturday, May 28.
From a colorful lemonade stand in front of the family home on Tribble Road south of Charleston, Avery Clare Lee, 5-year-old daughter of Buddy and Allison Lee, flashed her warm, welcoming smile to over 30 customers who stopped by for the cold, tangy treat between 10 a.m. and noon.
At a going rate of $2 per cup, Avery Clare and her assistants served a little more than 6 gallons of the lemon-flavored beverage.
Virtual donations were given by many others who learned of the fundraiser on social media or by word-of-mouth but could not be present, explained Allison.
“It was a success, and we hope to do it again next year,” she said in a Tuesday message to The Sun-Sentinel.
— * —
That parents would help their child set up a lemonade stand to raise funds for such a deserving cause as St. Jude is not the real story, nor is the amount of money raised.
The heart of the story, as told by her mother in a Facebook post promoting the event, was how it came to be.
A few months ago, Allison explained, Avery Clare had seen a television commercial about St. Jude that featured images of young patients and became “very interested” in why so many had no hair.
“So I went on to explain to her that the children at St. Jude are going through cancer treatment at no cost to their parents,” Allison continued. “[At] the end of the commercial, they asked for donations, and she expressed wanting to give to St. Jude.”
With their daughter’s charitable spirit as the catalyst, mom and dad embraced the opportunity to also impart a few life lessons.
“Our goal for this event [was] to try to teach [Avery Clare] about earning money the hard way, by working for it and turning around and giving it away. That it’s not as easy as asking mom or dad for money,” Allison said.
Thus, the lemonade stand idea came to fruition.
Avery Clare would assist in the venture, including preparing and selling the lemonade, with 100% of the proceeds going to St. Jude.
The initial goal for the fundraiser was $100. That six times the amount was actually raised made it an exciting outcome for all involved, and mom expressed her appreciation in another social media post following Saturday’s event.
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who came out to make today everything we dreamed it would be,” Allison wrote. “Your generosity will help a family who is going through the hardest challenges of their lives. We can’t wait to make this donation ... We love you for loving and supporting our girl.”
