Big Sunday Lemonade Stand

When I told my 5-year-old we were going to have a lemonade stand he was quick to volunteer to help. “Are we raising money to buy Legos?” he asked.

We’d been giving my two boys chores to do around house so they could earn money. Every couple of months, they would pool their banks together to buy Legos.

Nope, I told him. It’s for charity. A few weeks ago I volunteered for LA River Day through Latina Bloggers Connect and Pine Sol. It was such a great time, but too long of a day for my kids to participate. So I searched for a volunteer project for us to do as a family; one that the kids would enjoy, but would teach them the importance of helping other people.

Of course, by the time I got around to signing up most of the projects for Big Sunday, May 5 and 6, were full. Big Sunday is an annual event where people all over Los Angeles spend the weekend doing projects to help schools, libraries, parks, and non profits. We decided to put up a lemonade stand and donate the money to Shane’s Inspiration.

lemonade benefit stand in LA

Shane’s Inspiration builds handicap accessible playgrounds including Aidan’s Place at the Westwood Recreation Center. When we first moved to Los Angeles we lived in an apartment near the Rec Center and it was often the highlight of my day to walk my toddler and newborn baby there. My kids agreed that it would be a great organization to raise money for. I had hoped to have the lemonade stand at Aidan’s Place, but the park required a permit that it was too late and too expensive to get, so we put up the stand at my house.

lemonade

We had picked up a lemonade stand kit from Big Sunday earlier in the week, which included signs, Minute Maid lemonade, and tshirts. My two boys and I walked around the neighborhood that Sunday taping up signs and talking to neighbors asking them to stop by. Meanwhile, my husband went to the store and got provisions for the friends we invited over in the hopes that it would turn into a party.

And it did. It was such a great day. My friend Marissa and her family had volunteered to do the stand with us. Other friends showed up as well as some neighbors. We raised more than $100, which I think is pretty good for a lemonade stand.

kids lemonade stand

The most rewarding part of the day was watching the kids. There was no talk of buying Legos. They walked up the street with signs and were eager to serve when we had customers. They really wanted to get people to the lemonade stand so they could raise more money for Shane’s Inspiration.
And what an inspiration it was for all of us.
Pine Sol was the Big Sunday Big Clean Sponsor and also sponsored this post. I am being compensated for writing the post, but not for putting up the lemonade stand. That was all the volunteers and the family.

Thank you to Pine Sol for inspiring my recent volunteerism! “Pine-Sol is proud to put its scents to work and celebrate volunteerism and community development through its sponsorship of Big Sunday.” Please “like” Pine Sol Latino on Facebook.