On a summer day, who can resist the cuteness overload associated with kids offering up innocent glasses of bright yellow lemonade in support of charity?
For the De Noble, Tagliafierro, Van Lankvelt and Corelli families, the dog days of summer lemonade stand has become a yearly opportunity for their kids to give back to charity.
For the fourth year in a row, the families are raising funds for a charity that helps kids.
In past years, the recipient has been NEO Kids Children Treatment Centre in Sudbury, but this year, after a burglary at the offices of Northern Ontario Families of Children with Cancer (NOFCC) earlier this month, the families are banding together in support.
The “York Street Juice Kidz” sport matching cheery, colourful aprons and eagerly serve up the community on Gloucester Court, off York Street in the city’s South End.
“It’s a one-day event made from Country Time Lemonade crystals that usually amounts to almost $1,000 in funds each year for charity,” said Lindsey De Noble, mother to Juice Kidz Lennon and Theo De Noble and who hosts the stand at her house.
“We all have friends and family who have had to rely on NOFCC for support over the years. This is a good charity that helps these families in distress.”
De Noble also said it is refreshing to see the kids learning some basic entrepreneurial skills.
With a constant rush of cars along York Street, the Juice Kidz were kept busy. Some visitors were grandparents and old friends. Others are cyclists and walkers passing by the home. Even the driver of a City of Greater Sudbury garbage truck honked his horn in support.
De Noble’s father and Theo and Lennon’s grandfather, Lloyd Rebeiro, said the kids especially love the attention when police officers stop by with a donation.
With so many little people, there is a lot of excitement and chaos, but when customers roll up, it’s all smiles.
Five-year-old Fae Tagliafierro, a student at McLeod Public School, was eager to set up the tables for the lemonade stand.
“I know we don’t get to keep the money because it is all going to charity for kids and that makes me happy,” Fae said.
She’s excited that next year her baby sister, Sienna, won’t be in a stroller and will wear a “York Street Juice Kidz” apron of her own.
She and her mother, Laura Tagliafierro, got crafty this year and added merch to the lemonade stand in the form of keychains in support of NOFCC. In the past, there have been bracelets for sale.
Kristian Van Lankvelt, another Juice Kidz parent, made the aprons for the lemonade stand run last year. She’ll have to make a few more in the years to come with another baby of her own on the way.
All the kids range from infants to second graders, so after about 90 minutes their energy and attention span wanes.
That’s when the parents count up all the bills and change, totalling more than $800 dollars for NOFCC.
Now, the attention turns to the planning for next year’s event.
Collectively, these nine children (and their parents) have raised almost $3,000 in four years of lemonade sales.
A citrusy tradition they plan to continue in the years to come.
Anastasia Rioux is a writer in Greater Sudbury. Let’s Eat! is made possible by our Community Leaders Program.
