ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A child-run lemonade stand in St. Petersburg marked its 10th year Saturday, raising money for cancer research.
C&C Lemonade Factory, run by Caroline and Charlotte Gallagher, served about 300 cups of fresh lemonade during the milestone event.
The effort began after Caroline Gallagher was diagnosed with Leukemia when she was 18 months old. She spent two-and-a-half years in treatment.
“After I was in remission, I wanted to help my friends in the hospital. So I raised money for them by having a lemonade stand,” Caroline said.
Her father, Charles Gallagher, said he is happy to help.
“It’s just so humbling that she has that heart and that mindset… to help others and not have lemonade money to buy her own things, but to buy things for others and help others,” Gallagher said. “So really, kind of humbled me with her big heart.”
The first year they raised $50. Since then, the fundraiser has grown. Last year, the stand collected $20,000. They hoped for the same amount this year.
Caroline, now 12, is in remission. The money raised is being donated to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital and Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation.
“I feel like just knowing that I’m helping people each and every year, I want to do it again,” Caroline said.
According to the American Cancer Society, about 9,700 children in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer this year.