Lemonade Days, held this year from August 1-9, is an amazing week of lemonade stands held coast-to-coast. It is a week when we continue Alex’s legacy, remember how each of us can make a difference and work together so every donation counts towards the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) mission of finding cures and safer treatments for children with cancer. 

Meet five lemonade stand hosts making a difference with their lemonade stands:

1. A Lemonade Stand Legacy
When Natalie was about 6 years old, she helped her father with a lemonade stand at a local Starbucks. Natalie’s first stand of her own was roughly four years ago in Gorgas Park, Philadelphia at a community day.

Every year, Natalie and her dad hold a stand in their front yard. They chant at cars, strike up conversations with passersby, and invite everyone they know to spread the word.

Lemonade days are always a fun time, allowing Natalie and her dad some quality time together while benefiting others. Natalie says she loves helping others and that raising money for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation is the best way she can think of to do just that!

2. A Racehorse, A Law Firm, and a Whole Lot of Lemons
When Terry watched the Kentucky Derby in 2004, he was captivated by the story of Alex Scott and her connection to the racehorse Afleet Alex. The horse’s owners wanted to give back and decided to support Alex’s cause of fighting childhood cancer.

A horse racing enthusiast, Terry never forgot watching Afleet Alex nearly win the Triple Crown (the Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes and Kentucky Derby). The story stuck with him until 2017 when he and some colleagues at his law firm – Lightfoot, Franklin, & White – held their first annual lemonade stand.

Each year, they gather in the business district of downtown Birmingham and sell lemonade. Thanks to social media posts, most of their donations are collected online. They also reach out to family and friends prior to setting up the stand.

Their goal is to reach a cumulative amount of $100,000 over four collective years of stands. They hope this year will be extra memorable by raising $28,000 to finally hit that mark. To this day, Terry finds Alex’s story endlessly inspiring and he is proud to be a part of continuing her legacy of cures.

3. A Seven Year Stand
Alexandra and Avery had been hoping to hold a lemonade stand in their front yard when they noticed an advertisement for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) on a box of Peeps during Easter.

The family immediately felt connected to ALSF because they lost their cousin, Robert Venditelli, to cancer in 1987. After speaking to Rob’s parents and siblings, the family decided to hold their lemonade stand in his honor. The girls chose to make the stand an annual event, and each year, they gain more responsibility and passion for giving back.

The Luca family is happy to have the opportunity to honor the memory of their relative with support from friends, family and co-workers. Their lemonade stand has become more than a fundraiser – it’s an entire social event.

4. Daughter’s Diagnosis Leads to a Lemonade Stand
Ellie was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma at 7 months old, so her family’s lemonade stand is an act of love and support for her.

Every year, they set up the stand in their front yard to help fundraise for kids like Ellie. They spread the word on Facebook and receive many donations online too. Ellie will celebrate being three years cancer-free in September, but the family still sells their lemonade to raise awareness for all the kids who are still fighting.

5. Five Families Take a Stand Together
Five families impacted by childhood cancer knew they could use their experiences to help others. That’s why they hold an annual lemonade stand with the hope that other families won’t have to go through what they did. No promo is too outlandish for them as they paint their school’s spirit rock, write on car windows and post flyers across town.

They host the stand on the hottest and rainiest weekends of the year. Outside their local grocery store, they ask for donations from any shoppers or community members. Every year their hearts break at how underfunded pediatric cancer research is, as they meet more kids who have been diagnosed. Their joy comes from seeing so many people rally around their cause: better research and kinder treatments. This year, they have added virtual fundraising elements like an online painting class that gives part of the proceeds to their stand.

“I love seeing our community come together to support these kids! Our first year, we set a goal of raising $2,000, and later when I saw that, I thought, ‘What were we thinking? That's a huge amount!’ Our community came through spectacularly,” said Jami, one of the organizers.

Making Lemons into Lemonade for Kids with Cancer
Lemonade Days is an annual tradition at ALSF which celebrates our founder, Alex Scott, and her call to ask everyone to join the fight against childhood cancer. Although 2020 presents some unique challenges to the tried and true tradition of holding lemonade stands, we know that kids with cancer still need our help – now more than ever. We urge our supporters to join us August 1-9 by picking a day (or days) to host a virtual or social-distancing friendly fundraiser. There are plenty of ways to be part of the lemonade movement – get creative and have fun while supporting research into new cures for kids with cancer.
Register for Lemonade Days