Lemonade Stand for a Cause

I knew it was going to happen eventually but I put it off as long as I could. It's not that I'm a total lemonade stand scrooge. I stop at other kids' lemonade stands all the time, thirsty or not, but something about accosting a slew of commuters coming off the train who have no choice but to walk within two feet of a lemonade stand on our busy street while 3 adorable children smile expectantly in their direction seemed a little like neighborhood harassment.

But the KC kids kept pushing and negotiating and insisting. They won. Incidentally, that's also their strategy for selling lemonade and it's highly effective.

To abate the sting of steep prices ($1 a glass!) and in hopes of instilling some strong core values in my little entrepreneurs, I suggested they donate their profits to a good cause. They agreed on our local food pantry. I said I'd match whatever they raised.

I knew they'd have fun squeezing lemons, drawing a sign on the dry erase board, chatting up the neighbors and serving paper cups of their own icy tart lemonade. What I didn't count on was the multiple trips to the grocery store we'd end up making to keep up with the mad afternoon rush. I didn't count on the generosity of our neighbors or that of my kids who kicked in the contents of their piggy banks to seed the cash box. And what I really didn't count on was the hundred dollars they would make!

Sure that $100 included the change they started with and I kicked in the cost of the lemons and extra bag of sugar. But seriously, folks, $100 from a freaking lemonade stand! You've never seen 3 kids beaming with more pride...or gleaming with a stickier coating of simple syrup.

Today we wrote the check. $100 from them, $100 from us along with a donation matching gift form from Mufasa's work and that little lemonade stand turned into $400 for our local food pantry! Not a bad showing for an afternoon's work from 3 kids without work permits.

So, it looks like we have a new annual event on our schedule. How about you? There's still plenty of time for a summer lemonade stand in support of your favorite charity. Who's with us?!