Children's 'lemonaid' stand raises money for ALS research
10-year-old Sonya Johns holds a sign to attract customers to buy lemonade Saturday afternoon outside of Tippen's Market, 4845 Ann Arbor-Saline Road. Saturday was National Lemonade day, and Sonya is donating her profits to the organization Ann Arbor Against ALS.
Jeffrey Smith | AnnArbor.com
Sonya and Emmet Johns are like a lot of kids selling lemonade to make a few bucks on a hot summer day, only in this case it was more like "lemonaid."
Sonya and Emmet set up shop outside Tippens Market, 4845 Ann Arbor-Saline Road, Saturday afternoon to peddle the their cooling drink to thirsty shoppers. They were also raising money to fight the disease that killed their grandfather.
10-year-old Sonya Johns and 7-year-old Emmett Johns sell their lemonade at their colorful and homemade lemonade stand Saturday afternoon outside of Tippen's Market, 4845 Ann Arbor-Saline Road.
Jeffrey Smith | AnnArbor.com
The children's grandfather, Michael Johns, died in October of 2010 of ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.) Stacey Johns and her children, 10-year-old Sonya and 7-year-old Emmett, both students at Dicken Elementary School, got involved in an organization called A2A3 (Ann Arbor Against ALS), and decided on the lemonade project as a way to raise money for a cure for ALS.
"This is a way to empower my children in ownership, pride, accountability, planning, budgeting, marketing, creating, building, financing and serving others," said Stacey Johns. "The three of us built the stand, and they painted it."
Saturday was National Lemonade Day, something Johns and her children learned about in an advertisement in Parent Magazine just a few months ago. Lemonade Day is a learning program that teaches youth how to start, own and operate their own business, specifically a lemonade stand.
"We went to Detroit for the kickoff and were sold," said Johns. "The main goal is to foster little entrepreneurs."
And that's what Sonya and Emmett have become.
"We've been working two weeks to prepare for this," said Sonya.
"It's fun," said Emmett. "I write down how many small and large cups people buy."
Stacey Johns is proud of her children and pleased that they have a sense of purpose in the fight against ALS. In the past, Sonya and Emmett have also volunteered to help the homeless, volunteered for flower planting for the city of Ann Arbor, and raised money to help pay for tickets for an event for children with developmental disabilities at the Detroit Zoo.
"I am simply instilling in my kids what my parents so graciously gave to me," said Stacey Johns. "Giving is our right, our opportunity."
"We like to help people and make the world a better place," said Sonya.
Lisa Carolin if a freelance reporter for AnnArbor.com. To contact the news desk, email news@annarbor.com or call 734-623-2530.
Comments
BhavanaJagat
Sun, Jun 10, 2012 : 6:05 p.m.
EMPOWERING CHILDREN : It is important to help the development of fully integrated personalities. For this, we need to help children to develop their intellectual functions and mold emotions into a personality that displays peace, harmony, and tranquility. A disease entity like ALS compels us to know and understand the true or real nature of human organism that is constituted by trillions of individual cells that show functional differentiation and are structurally and functionally organized to work for the benefit of the human person who lives because of their functions. I describe 'Spiritualism' as the potency that brings functional harmony in the interactions between the cells, tissues, and the organ systems that make up the human organism. Each cell derives its energy or power from an external source or from its immediate extracellular environment. Human being lives because of a partnership, a connection, a relationship, an association, or bonding between the energy-demanding molecules of the body and the energy-yielding molecules in the environment. There is no Energy or Power that is needed for human existence unless the organism is connected, related, associated, bonded, or has established a partnership with an external source of Energy or Power which is sometimes called and described as the Divine Providence. We empower our children by teaching them this basic skill to formulate a relationship with an external source of Energy or Power.
Mike
Sun, Jun 10, 2012 : 1:29 p.m.
Wait till the authorities swoop in and shut them down for not having the proper permits and liability insurance.............Great story and every kid should be allowed to do things like this but unfortunately we are being regulated to death.
towncryer
Sun, Jun 10, 2012 : 12:18 p.m.
"Empower.....". Sounds like some quote our illustrious superintendent Ms. Green would brag.
Candy Chavez
Sun, Jun 10, 2012 : 3:03 a.m.
Today only?