Providing cancer relief with refreshments
Published 4:04 pm Thursday, June 23, 2016
Lemonade stands have been a summer time activity for kids for years, and now you can gain relief from the heat and support a good cause at the same time.
A Lemon8 stand will be set up and offering lemonade and sweet tea along the route of this year’s Peach Parade on Saturday.
It will be located outside of La-Tee-Da Boutique at the corner of Fifth Street and Fourth Avenue North
“The goal was to have as much foot traffic as possible,” said Catherine White, associated with the stand.
According to White, the refreshments will be handed out by a “bunch of cute little girls” and there is no price for the lemonade and tea, but a donation is all that is asked in return.
All donations will go toward pediatric cancer research through the Department of Hematology and Oncology at Children’s of Alabama in Birmingham, as well as Camp Smile-A-Mile, Alabama’s camp for children with cancer.
The goal of the stand was to not only raise awareness, but also have a direct benefit for local children that are battling cancer and blood disorders, White said.
The first stand was set up in 2014 at Peach Park by White, who at the time was a nurse at Children’s of Alabama, and a bunch of friends.
Her 4-year-old daughter has also been by her side throughout the process.
“I wanted her to see what it was like to get involved in a community cause through public service,” White said.
Two events were held the first year, and that number doubled to four last year.
“I know a lot of care givers and people that have been affected by pediatric cancer,” White said. “It’s a very grassroots effort of fundraising, but we’ve been embraced everywhere we’ve been.”
According to White, less than 4 percent of national funding goes to support pediatric cancer.
September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
The No. 8 in the name is significant because it symbolizes where the pediatric cancer center is located at Children’s of Alabama.
The booth will be set up at 8 a.m., and the parade is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m.