When Moore Township sisters Madison and Paige Mitchell saw a commercial for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital on television, they knew they wanted to help. So on a warm June day, Madison, 9, and Paige, 6, set up a lemonade stand in their front yard to raise donations for the hospital.
“I was proud of them,” says mom, Denise. “They took the initiative, they picked out everything they needed.”
After a successful first day, the sisters decided to move their stand closer to a main road so they could raise even more awareness. That’s when their generous endeavor really took off!
First, neighbors started spreading the word. Then, the Moore Township Police Department posted a photo of the lemonade stand on their Facebook page. The photo garnered over 300 likes and nearly 40 shares.
“They thought they were in trouble for selling lemonade without a permit,” laughs Denise, talking about the moment Moore Township Police Officer Steinmetz approached their stand. Instead, Officer Steinmetz simply wanted to support the sisters and refresh himself on a hot summer day.
Since then, the community has come out in full support of the girls. In total, nearly $240 has been raised for St. Jude’s over the course of the summer.
With summer vacation winding down, Denise says the girls may do one or two more lemonade stands before it’s back-to-school time. But she has a feeling that Madison and Paige may already be planning for next year.
“It has been a learning experience and they are getting out in the community, so I am proud of them.”
