Last year, eight-year old Izzy Konert and her 12-year old brother, Casey Konert, raised over $1,000 with their lemonade stand fundraiser.
Their sweet success has prompted them to do it all over again this year.
On Sunday, the Thorold siblings will set up shop at the corner of Highway 20 and Barron Road, in hopes of raising funds for Ronald McDonald House Charities.
“This is something they put their hearts into,” says their mom Jessica Konert, in an interview with ThoroldToday. “They’ve been planning, they painted signs, we started baking already. It’s a pretty big thing for them.”
The kids launched their lemonade stand last year after Konert put forward a challenge to her loved ones.
“Last year I cut my hair to donate it to ‘Wigs for Kids,’” says Konert. “I put out a challenge to family and friends to raise money. The more money they raised, the more hair I would cut off. The kids wanted to donate their chore money. Once the chores ran out we were thinking of ways to raise more money.“
So they came up with the idea of a lemonade stand.
“We just did it on a corner of a friend’s property and it was wonderful,” says Konert. “We had so many people from the community come out.”
This year, the fundraiser will take place at a farmer’s field on the corner of Highway 20 and Barron Road.
“My husband is a volunteer firefighter and the property belongs to the chief of the firehall,” Konert says. “He told us to use it and we’re actually bringing out one of the antique firetrucks for the kids to climb on and take pictures with as they’re out there at the lemonade stand. It’s about getting everybody involved.”
All the money raised will go to Ronald McDonald House Charities, which provides support to parents whose children are staying in the hospital.
Raising funds for Ronald McDonald House Charities was an obvious choice for the Konert family.
“Both my brother’s family and my husband’s brother’s family had to use their services in the last few years so it’s something that we’re really passionate about,” says Konert. “The time and the effort they put in and the sense of normalcy that they provide for the family while they’re there for their children is just incredible. Having a place like Ronald McDonald House makes the world of difference for parents when they got a sick child.”
Konert says it’s important to her and her husband Bob to raise children who contribute to their community.
“Our children are healthy, we are healthy, we’ve both been able to keep working through the pandemic but there are a lot of families who haven’t been that lucky," she says. "It is very important to us to teach the kids to take part in you community and to help out those who don’t have the same privileges you have.”
The lemonade stand will set up shop at the corner of Highway 20 and Barron Road this Sunday, July 31 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.
