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PROVO — Four years ago, now 9-year-old Zack Francom sold enough lemonade and cookies to cover the donation of one wheelchair. The next year, he raised enough for 15. Last year? He donated enough for 21 wheelchairs. And this year, he hopes to break his record.
This weekend, Zack opened Zack's Shack — a cookie and lemonade stand that benefits charity. It started four years ago when his school challenged each student in his class to raise $86 to donate a wheelchair to someone in the developing world.
"Because I wanted to help other people," Zack said." I know people in wheelchairs and it's sad when they don't have one. They can't move and they're not respected when they don't have one."
Zack decided that selling lemonade and cookies would help him reach his goal.
"It's hard to not get emotional about it because he's such a good boy and has such a big heart and he truly wants to help people," said his mother, Nancy Bird.
After setting up his stand four times, he has a regular following. Hundreds of people stopped by this weekend. His mother and grandmother help him make the cookies and lemonade. It's a lot of work, but Zack says with each cookie, he remembers his cause.
"I'm just thinking that's one step closer to getting a wheelchair for someone," he said.
Zack made $5,685 this weekend: enough to break his record.
"Last year at the end he had set his goal and was a little bit shy of it and he was sad," Bird said. "He started to cry and said, ‘I want to help I don't want to disappoint people.' So he went and got his own money out so he could finish and meet his goal."
Donations can be made to the charity through Zack's Shack [online through Latter-day Saint Charities](< https://secure3.convio.net/ldsp/site/Donation2?df_id=5580&5580.donation=form1&s_src=15480/&JServSessionIdr004=yij0in5bq1.app331a>).
