TONAWANDA, N.Y. — The old saying goes, “When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.” But what do you do with the lemonade? For two local sisters, they’re selling it, but not entirely for their own benefit.
These two everyday heroes are on a mission to ensure their peers reach their dreams. Entrepreneurs Brooke and Maya Wilson run a charitable lemonade stand, Double Trouble Citrus.
What You Need To Know
Brooke and Maya Wilson have a lemonade stand in front of their Tonawanda home, raising money for SOLID Foundation Prep
The non-profit gives kids life and tech lessons on and off the basketball court
Double Trouble Citrus is open again the weekend of July 18
“First, because we’re twins and lemonade has citrus in it,” Maya said of their business’s name.
“And our mom says that we are trouble,” said Brooke.
But these nearly 12-year-olds are more sweet than sour. In front of their home this summer, they are raising money for school clothes and more, including a non-profit close to their hearts called SOLID Foundation Prep.
“If I have more, I’m going to buy a bunch of extra stuff that I don’t need,” Maya said.
“I don’t know, we all like this, but I’m not mad about it,” Brooke smiled.
These pre-teens hoping to get more kids to center court are receiving support from the community.
“It was really just a way to use basketball as a tool,” said Travell Scales, education director for SOLID Foundation Prep. “No different than what a contractor uses a hammer for.”
Scales says three times a week, kids ages 6 to 18 start with a warm-up on the basketball court before they head into the classroom.
“We’ve built robots, we’ve built remote codes for cell phones, we built all those things,” Scales said. “But that’s just one fashion of it.”
The other fashion is teaching kids like the Wilson sisters to be a part of their community. Their pink and yellow stand brings it full circle.
“We just really want to invest in them,” Scales said. “And them investing in us means a lot to us because it shows that maybe we’re doing something right.”
Brooke, who’s been part of the program, says she’s learned defense, but not in the basketball sense.
“It’s about like actually understanding what’s going on and how to change your problem,” Brooke said.
The one problem she cannot fix is her lack of baking abilities.
“Mom and Maya are the cookie people,” Brooke laughed. “I don’t know anything. They both know the recipe. I don’t even know the first step.”
What they have learned is the first step in navigating complicated work relationships.