Easy peasy, lemon squeezy: Sisters' charity lemonade stand raises $100,000 in 10 years
Started in honour of a kindergarten classmate who died of leukemia
Much can change in 10 years but for Edmonton sisters Taylor and Sydney Woodworth, one thing has stayed the same: an unwavering determination to make lemonade from lemons — and then sell it to raise money for the Stollery Children's Hospital.
By the time the girls shut down 2019's edition of the weeklong lemonade stand on Sunday, they'd surpassed $100,000 raised since setting up their first lemonade stand on their driveway in 2009.
"This is just such a big deal," said 14-year-old Sydney. "We have so many supporters and so many cool people who have come out, and so many amazing donations. We didn't realize how amazing and big this is until …"
"Until recently," interjects sister Taylor, 18.
The lemonade stand started when the girls were aged four and eight. A kindergarten classmate of Sydney's, a boy named Moses Felix, had died of leukemia and the girls wanted to do something in his memory.
The first year's lemonade stand was in front of their home and raised $250. Within a few years, they moved to a busier location offered by Sobey's in Namao Centre. Recent years, the weeklong event has been held at Southgate Hyundai.
Its offerings expanded as the years went by — with hot dogs, chips, popcorn and games being added to the menu, along with silent auctions, a 50/50 and online giving options. Lemonade went from 50 cents a glass to donations of $5 or more.
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And as the lemonade stand grew, so did the number of dollars it raised for the Stollery.
"One year, we raised $1,000 in a week and that was just insane. And then a couple of years ago, we raised about $30,000 in a week," Taylor said.
"It just astonishes me every time, how we set a goal and we accomplish it. … It's so crazy to me that [people] want to take time out of their day, out of their work, of their schedules that they do every day, to come out to help the Stollery and to help us."
Sydney said the memory of Felix remains at the heart of the annual endeavour; she's determined to carry on with the stand for another two years, which would see her and his memory make it through Grade 12.
"But honestly, I don't want this to stop," she added.
"It's too big to end it."