Lemonade stands across the province raised $17,200 for charity during the first-ever Good Lemonade Day last month.
On June 18, 70 lemonade stands held across B.C. opened shop with two goals: having fun and raising money for the selected charity, JoeAnna’s House.
Located steps from the Kelowna General Hospital, JoeAnna’s House provides accommodations for out-of-town families with loved ones receiving care. The charity also helps to offset the costs of travel and medical expenses.
Most stands were located in the Kelowna area, with other family-run locations in Smithers, Cranbrook, Kamloops, Salmon Arm and Vernon.
“Family is everything to us, so supporting a cause centred on keeping families together during some of their most difficult times was an easy decision. Being able to spread the word about JoeAnna’s House while selling lemonade was such a fun and easy way to get the kids involved and excited about helping others. We are already looking forward to next year!” says Brandi Ripel, who hosted a lemonade stand in Salmon Arm with her family.
Another parent, Hailey Harfman, said that her daughter Taylor, who is on the autism spectrum, was able to enjoy running the stand while also connecting with others.
“Taylor loved the opportunity to chat with people. She loved the autonomy of running her own stand, collecting donations and serving people a cool drink on a hot day. She had so much fun that she also set up a second location at our residence and collected more donations!” said Harfman.
Local businesses also played a role in the success of the event.
Prestige Hotels and Resorts helped organize the event and hosted lemonade stands at 15 Prestige properties across B.C.
Laing Service and Maintenance served as the event’s presenting sponsor and held a lemonade stand at JoeAnna’s House.
Plans are already underway for the 2023 Good Lemonade Day, which the event committee says they hope will continue to grow each year.
You can learn more about Good Lemonade Day and how to get involved by visiting their website.
