Health & Fitness
Children raise $826 from lemonade stand, donate to BackStoppers
Preschoolers at United Services for Children hoped their lemonade stand would make at least a few dollars, but they did not expect to raise $826.
The students on May 20 donated all the money to The BackStoppers, a St. Louis-based organization that helps the families of deceased police, firefighters and emergency services workers.
Teacher Samantha Dorey said she was “totally in shock” at how much money her students’ lemonade stand generated. The children attend class at United Services West in Dardenne Prairie, one of two pediatric therapy and preschool centers operated by United Services for Children, a nonprofit agency founded in 1975. The other center, United Services East, is located in St. Peters.
Find out what's happening in St. Charleswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The children of Dorey’s Room 508 were studying the theme of “community helpers.” They decided to help their community by creating a lemonade stand. Teaching assistants Michelle Shepherd and Megan Beck helped the children organize the project.
The students spent two weeks planning and promoting the lemonade stand. They hung artwork throughout the building to advertise the stand. They created a menu that included donuts and chocolate chip cookies.
Find out what's happening in St. Charleswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The children considered pricing the donuts at $500 each. After some class discussion, they realized few people would pay $500 for a donut, but lots of people would pay 25 cents for a donut, Dorey said.
The stand operated four hours on May 2, with 16 children taking turns serving in the front hallway of United Services West. They sold four gallons of lemonade, 36 donuts and 180 cookies. At the end of the day, the children counted the money and discovered, to their surprise, they had made $313.
A parent donated another $100 and a corporate supporter provided a matching donation, bringing the total to $826.
The students discussed what to do with the money. They considered giving it to teachers, food pantries, police and fire fighters, or organizations that help sick babies. Finally, the class took a vote. Police and fire fighters won.
On May 20, BackStoppers Executive Director Ron Battelle, retired St. Louis County Police chief, visited the children at United Services West. They presented him with a giant handwritten check for $826. Battelle gave the children sheriff’s badges.