SADIE'S LEMONADE STAND

   Did you have  a lemonade stand when you were young?

  Well, this is a story about a special lemonade stand and the young 'mastermind' behind it.  Sadie is our niece's twelve year old daughter who is a bundle of energy, accomplishments and kindness.
An "A Honor Roll" student, she also excels as an athlete on community softball and basketball teams.  She and her older sister, Abby, have won numerous awards and recognitions as members of a dance/gymnastics troupe.  However impressive these endeavors are, it is her 'kind heart' that is especially endearing.

    Given her energy and creativity, we were not surprised when the above picture appeared on social media last night.  The 'surprise' came when we learned the reason for her entrepreneurial endeavor.
. . . more about that momentarily.  This morning wanting to support her initiative, we drove the few miles to her 'business'.  What we experienced far exceeded the usual table, chair, pitcher and cups that are the staple of juvenile lemonade businesses.

    

"The Boss (in yellow shirt) and her Assistants"

While the idea had originated with Sadie, she had enlisted the help of her parents, her siblings (Luke and Abby), and several friends. I counted five other youth actively assisting her. As the above picture suggests, this was no 'small-time' operation.
And, when we left, we saw this advertisement at an intersection about a quarter of a mile away :

Discussing our experiences and observations afterwards, it seemed to us that several good things were occurring at the lemonade stand.

There was a strong spirit of cooperation among the youth and Daddy Steve was strongly encouraging the efforts by painting and erecting the large sign in the above picture.  No one was  distracted by an electronic device and no unkind words were spoken.  Regardless of the size of their orders, customers were treated respectfully.  The responsibilities of accepting payment and making correct change proceeded smoothly for these young merchants.  As the end of summer vacation nears, these youth undoubtedly could have been enjoying another trip to the pool.  And . . . here is the remarkable part:

They were raising money not for themselves but to assist someone facing a major health and financial situation.

Sadie's 'cash register'

A friend of Sadie's mom recently received a diagnosis of an auto-immune disorder that has caused the loss of her liver and the incurring of extraordinary expenditures.  Without insurance, the family already has medical bills in excess of forty thousand dollars and further expensive procedures remain.  (To learn more, go to Jamie Boisvert's "Go Fund Me" site.)

Sadie's lemonade business occurred because she decided to help someone in need.  At the end of 'the business day', the lemonade stand had generated $253.50.  

No doubt, that caused her to leap for joy  !

Satchel