Simply Supper's Lemonade Stand Day is back in St. Albert this summer, giving kids the chance to run their own stands while raising money for the Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation.
Now in its 12th year, the community-driven fundraiser has grown from a small family project to a province-wide event with over 650 stands registered across Alberta. In St. Albert alone, 32 stands will be set up on Sunday, Aug. 24, with locations listed on an interactive map, allowing families to plan their route along what organizers call the "lemonade trail."
Organizer Monita Chapman, who founded the initiative in 2014, said the idea started as a way to teach her children about gratitude after the Stollery provided care for their family.
"We started this as just a small kind of family project, we were just looking to say thank you," she said. "That was the biggest thing. Was that I was teaching my kids how to say thank you to a hospital that had helped us."
She explained that since the first year, they have been able to grow the event.
Since its launch, Lemonade Stand Day has raised $2.5 million for the Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation, with nearly 10,000 children participating. Last year, participants collected $465,000 in donations. Chapman said it's difficult to grasp just how far the project has come.
"Nowhere in my wildest dreams did I ever think we'd be here," Chapman said. "Some days I'm just like, is this really happening? Like, it's like, I'm in a little lemon dream, as I call it, like, it's unbelievable."
The event is designed not only to raise funds, but also to teach children the value of giving back.
"I think it's important for them to learn to give back. I think it's important for them to learn to say a simple thank you," Chapman said. "The one thing I love about Lemonade Stand Day is you're teaching them to do it in a fun way and in their own way. So kids can host the stand, they can raise money, they do it in their own way, they put their touch on it, and they're working hard."
In the days leading up to Lemonade Stand Day, kids pick up kits that include lemonade cups, tablecloths, decorations and signage. An interactive map is then published on their website, showing the location of each stand along with its hours and, in some cases, the personal stories behind it.
"We call it the lemonade trail," Chapman said. "With over 680 stands happening, I can guarantee that you're going to open that map, and wherever you live, there is a stand happening within five minutes."
No two stands are alike.
"You will go to, let's say, five stands, and not one of them will be the same," Chapman said. “They'll all have lemonade, but they'll all have different stuff. They're selling a different twist. That's the amazing thing about Lemonade Stand Day."
This year's proceeds will go toward bed care cots for the Stollery, allowing parents to stay close to their children during hospital visits.
"Just go visit a stand," Chapman said. "Lemonade Stand Day is Sunday, Aug. 24. I promise you smiling, happy kids that are having fun, and if you see a kid out there wearing a Lemonade Stand Day shirt, please just give them a high five for a job well done."
