The Lemonade Stand

“If Everyone Does A Little We Can All Help A Lot

by Robert Kirwan

  

As I drove towards the Centennial Arena during Valley East Days, I couldn’t help notice the bright colourful umbrella and tables on the lawn at the corner of Laurier and Centennial Drive . Being curious, and always on the lookout for a good story, so I stopped and investigated. After speaking to Chris Hein, the father of two of the girls operating the stand, I found out that one day recently, Chris was having a normal everyday discussion with his daughters, Jamie, 4, on the far right in the photo, and Brooklyne, 6, in the middle, when the girls told him that they wanted to help people who had cancer.  

   Chris had always told his children that it never hurts to help someone else, so to hear this suggestion come from his young girls touched him deeply as a parent. After some planning, they made all of the arrangements to run a lemonade stand with their friend, Isabelle Chaput, 9 on the far left, and decided to set up on a busy corner during Valley East Days where a lot of people would see them. The girls asked their Grandmother, who lives in the area, for some vegetables to sell as well. They baked cookies and rice crispy squares in the morning with their father and then enjoyed a beautiful Saturday raising money that they would donate to the Terry Fox Run. According to Chris, “Can you think of a better way for a father to spend a Saturday than helping his children in a worthy cause such as this?”
  
   These three girls from Notre Dame School in Hanmer learned a valuable lesson from their lemonade stand, and their participation in the Terry Fox Run will become an annual event for the Hein’s Family. Yes, Brooklyne, you are absolutely right. “If everyone does a little, we can all help a lot.”
  
   As I went back to my car with my wrapped up piece of rice crispies square, I wondered how many others who saw these three cute little girls that day recalled a life when lemonade stands and sitting on the grass all afternoon were the norm rather than the exception. The last thing I saw when I pulled away was the bright smile from Jamie who showed sincere appreciation for my support of her lemonade stand. She may never realize that what she handed me was much more than simply a piece of dessert – she gave me a chance to remember a time that I had almost forgotten. Thank you girls.

 
 

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