Children's 'lemonaid' stand raises money for ALS research

By Lisa Carolin AnnArbor.com Freelance Journalist

Posted on Sat, Jun 9, 2012 : 6:54 p.m.

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.

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