Lemonade stand in St. Clair Shores benefits childhood cancer charity

ST. CLAIR SHORES — A St. Clair Shores family sells refreshing lemonade to their neighbors while also supporting a great cause.

Jen Stogiera said they’ve been hosting a lemonade stand in front of their house for six years now.

“I’m not sure about how many people — it’s hard to say,” she said about the number of people who have visited the stand on Blackburn Street between Jefferson and Greater Mack avenues. “I guess I would maybe say anywhere from 25 to 50 people.”

In years past, members of the Police Department and the Fire Department came to support the lemonade stand and the charity the family donates to.

“I think it was maybe our second or third year when we did it. They brought the fire truck and then, the police, when they’ve come, they just bring stuff for the kids, too, like the badges and little stickers,” Jen said.

The charity the family supports is called Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer. According to the foundation’s website, the charity was started when a little girl, Alexandra “Alex” Scott held a lemonade stand in her front yard for childhood cancer and raised just over $2,000.

Alex was diagnosed at 1 year old with a cancer called neuroblastoma.

“By the time of her death in 2004, Alex raised $1 million and inspired a legacy of hope and cures for childhood cancer,” the website said.

Stogiera said the family set goals for the stand every year and that they change it from year to year. This year, the goal was set to raise $1,500 and they made just over $950.

“I do have to clarify, so that you know that some donations come in on our online page that’s connected to the organization, but that’s how much we as a family have raised this year,” she said.

William Stogiera, Jen’s son, was only 3 1/2 years old when the lemonade stand started. William is 8 1/2 now, and he said he thinks hosting the lemonade stand is pretty cool. His favorite part is lending a helping hand.

“Probably just earning money and helping kids with cancer,” he said.

William said his family helps him out with the stand and sometimes other people come over, like his grandma or other family members. He said his friends also sometimes come over to support the cause he’s working toward.

“We had seven people that I know from baseball. (They) came to our lemonade stand to give us money,” William said.

William said he came up with the lemonade stand with his father.

“A long time ago, I said I wanted to do something fun, and my dad said we can come up with something. And then, like maybe like two or one year later, we came up with this lemonade stand,” William said.

Jen said William loves it and that he’s always there the two or three hours they host the stand. She also said that this year he was able to pour lemonade and ask people what they want from the available treats they have.

Jen said there was a man who came out to the lemonade stand last year who gave a $100 donation. The man said they had lost their son to lymphoma six years prior; on the exact day they were hosting the stand.

“So it was really special, and we kept the note that he wrote us and laminated it, so this year, that was why we hosted it, in that honor,” Jen said.

The family already hosted the lemonade stand this year, but Jen said they intend to host another one next year.

“We encourage other people to look into signing up with Alex’s Lemonade Stand and doing one like that for themselves, because it’s just been really special for everybody that’s come out,” Jen said.