Students excited about helping others in need

Submitted Photo CUSTOMERS WANTED: Second grade students MyLee Campbell, Jackson Robertson, Clayton Hoover and Allison Taylor have been getting ready for the Second-Grade Lemonade Stand that will be open Tuesday from 10:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. on the front lawn of the WRV Worthington Elementary School. Community customers are invited to help them support the search for a cure for childhood cancer.

An old-fashioned lemonade stand will be open from 10:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. in front of the White River Valley Worthington Elementary School to raise money for the Children's Cancer Research Foundation.

The stand will be run by the students in Debbie Pruett and Debbie Nolting's second-grade classes and the kids are so excited they can hardly wait for Tuesday to come.

"I can't wait to make lemonade!" said second-grader Billy Keen.

The two second-grade teachers planned for their students to do a joint service learning project sometime this year and then the children learned about a nationwide effort called "Alex's Lemonade Stand."

Pruett said the children read a story in their readers about how children raised money by having a lemonade stand and they decided this is what they wanted to do.

The "Alex's Lemonade Stand" effort was started by a girl who had a type of childhood cancer. During her brave fight, she told her mother one day in the hospital that when she got out, she wanted to have a lemonade stand and she wanted to give the money to her doctors to help them find a cure.

Alex did get out of the hospital, she did have that lemonade stand and it raised $2,000.

Alex continued to hold annual lemonade stands with all proceeds going to help fund childhood cancer research.

The disease eventually took Alex's life but after she passed away, others took up her project and the Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation was born. They have since raised over $1 million to contribute to the search for a cure.

WRV Worthington's second graders want to be a part of this and plan to donate all monies from their lemonade stand to the Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation.

"The students are extremely excited to participate in this activity that will help other children with a disease," said Nolting.

Students have been busy since they made their decision and have had a pledge drive asking local businesses and individuals for support.

Second-grader Tanner Denham said, "I can't wait. I already have seven sponsors from my church," and second-grader Baylee Wilson said, "I'm so excited, I've already turned in my sponsors!"

They've also been making posters, spreading the word and planning to set up and run the stand.

"Our school has a long tradition of service learning and we encourage the students to take ownership for the projects they do," said Nolting.

Both teachers say the children have done just that and they've been working hard.

With much excitement in the air, they are inviting the public to stop by the front lawn of their school on Tuesday and buy a glass of second-grade lemonade.

They hope lots of people will come.

"I hope we sell lots of lemonade and make lots of money!" said second-grader Abby Kershaw.

The teachers hope so too.

Pruett says she expects they will sell lemonade to other students and staff but thinks they'll also get customers from the community.

"I really like the way our community gets behind our school projects," said Pruett. "This encourages our student involvement and also their level of commitment."