Written by: Zoe, age 16
When my little cousin decided she wanted to have a lemonade stand to help raise money for kids in need at an elementary school, I thought that was awesome. When I found out I had to sit out in the heat to help her do it, it didn't sound quite as awesome. But in the end, I'm so glad I did it.
That's me in the background of the "Maddie-Made Lemonade" stand. It was hot and humid, but my cousin, Madelyn, was so excited that it made the rest of us excited to pitch in. I helped her make the signs, and while we were outside, I helped her put lids on cups and talk to friends and neighbors that stopped by.
A few days after the lemonade stand, we went to Walmart and bought all kinds of pants and shirts so that the school resource room would have them for kids who need clothing. Shopping is not usually my thing, but knowing we were buying those clothes for kids who genuinely need it was a very different feeling. We put ourselves in their shoes and thought about how we would feel if we truly had nothing else to wear. We wanted the kids to feel special, so we skipped solid colors and picked out shirts with butterflies, cool sayings, Marvel characters and more. My cousin, my brother and I all pitched in a little extra on top of what Madelyn raised to make sure the school had all they needed.
In the end, I'm so glad Madelyn made us all sit out in the heat. We had fun doing the lemonade stand as a family. But more importantly, that random Sunday afternoon made a difference bigger than all of us. I still think about the kids who need and are wearing those clothes. I hope they feel as special as we think they are!