by Trish Adkins, ALSF

Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation was founded on the belief that kids can help other kids! We’ve always had amazing schools and teachers supporting our mission and raising funds for research. Here are five schools making a difference one cup at a time:

1. How Can One Child Make A Difference: Erpenbeck Elementary School, Florence, KY

At Erpenbeck Elementary School in Florence, KY, the teachers and students have been putting the squeeze on childhood cancer for three years! The third-grade teachers—Ashley Moeller, Nicole Servizzi, Jessica Klosinski, Stacey Neuhaus, Michelle Roland and Toni Hook—used their participation in the ALSF Great Lemonade War as part of a social studies unit in economics.  

The key question throughout the unit was “How can one child make a difference?” Each of the third-grade classes took on a part of the project—including surveying the student body to find out their favorite lemonade flavors, writing persuasive “sales” letters, advertising throughout the community and keeping track of donations. One class created a promotional website for their team the “Erpenbeck Easy Squeezers.” Their efforts made them the winners of the ALSF Great Lemonade War and raised $4,626 in 2017 and over $11,000 over the past three years. 

2. Creating a Penny Shortage: Mercersburg and Montgomery Elementary Schools, Mercersburg, PA

Mercersburg and Montgomery Elementary Schools joined together to fight childhood cancer with a penny war! Students at the schools raised over $7,000 while engaging in a school versus school penny war—which led to some penny shortages at area banks!
 
Students brought in donations—pennies counted as “positive” donations toward their team totals while silver coins and paper money counted as “negative” donations. All money counted towards their amazing total!

3. Lessons and Lemonade: Southwest Elementary School, Clemmons, NC 

Speech-Language Pathologists at Southwest Elementary School in Clemmons, NC embrace all the educational benefits of hosting a lemonade stand to teach their students in their five exceptional children’s classrooms--Character, Community and Communication. Students help plan the school’s annual lemonade stands teachers guide them through lessons in social skills, math, language and functional communication skills. 

The result: the students served over 1,300 cups of lemonade, raising $5,500 at their stand last year. Over the last five years, Southwest Elementary has raised over $14,500 for ALSF. Maria Vernon, a speech-language pathologist at Southwest and the volunteer organizer of their ALSF lemonade stands, said students are learning the importance of giving to others and that is the greatest lesson of all. We all need help sometimes is the phrase they teach the children about why they are selling lemonade. The school will host their 6th annual stand in June.

4. 12 years of tradition: Van Sciver Elementary School, Haddonfield, NJ

At Van Sciver Elementary School in Haddonfield, the tradition of supporting ALSF runs deep! Not only has the school hosted lemonade stands since 2006 and raised over $6,900, students and teachers have found several ways to get involved in ALSF. Now-retired special education teacher, Sharon Raibel, was inspired to start an ALSF lemonade stand by a former student who fought childhood cancer. Teachers incorporated ALSF resources into their classroom math and language arts curriculum. They also used the annual lemonade stand as a chance to teach students about community service. 

Two new teachers, Eileen O’Mara and Michelle Croxton, are now leading the tradition. (Miss O’Mara also attended the 2016 Lemon Run and was the top female finisher!). This year, the school’s annual assembly will include a childhood cancer hero speaker and a special video from an ALSF funded-researcher, so the children can learn more about how their donations have helped others!

5. Painting the School Gold for a Cure: Marion Jordan School, Palatine, IL
All throughout September, which is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, students at Marion Jordan School in Palatine, Illinois participated in school-wide events to raise awareness and funds for ALSF. The school kicked off events with a special assembly featuring a sixth grader, Theo, who attends school there and battled neuroblastoma. 

Throughout the rest of the month, teachers led their classrooms in educational discussions about pediatric cancer. At recess, students received maniCUREs with sparkling gold nail polish! Students also got streaks of gold in their hair with temporary hair tattoo and sold gold shoelaces and rubber bracelets. To finish the month, the school had a lemonade stand which was attended by local government and community representatives! 

Want to get your school involved? Find out how.