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COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS -- A little girl at a lemonade stand is a staple on a summer day, but an 8-year-old and her pals set up a stand Friday in Cottonwood Heights with a mission much bigger than earning spending money.
"We're raising money for childhood cancer," said 8-year-old RyLee Ramsey.
RyLee and her friends donned special yellow aprons Friday to join a national fundraising movement known as Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer with their stand near 7100 S. Highland Drive.
"That foundation was started by a girl named Alex who started it when she was 4. She had cancer at the time, and she decided she wanted to do something to earn money for children who had cancer," explained RyLee's mother, Natalee Callahan.
"Alex" was Alexandra Scott of Connecticut. Before she died at age 8, her lemonade stands raised more than $1 million for cancer research. RyLee hopes to add to that. "We're thinking we might get up to, like, $500 or $200," RyLee said.
Like many of these stands, this one is dedicated to the memory of a loved one: in this case, RyLee's cousin, Alec, who died at the age of 11 from childhood cancer.
RyLee wanted to raise money for kids like Alec as a way to celebrate her upcoming ninth birthday. "I think she's a good example to go out there, and even no matter how small you are you can make a difference to others in need," Natalee said.
RyLee's stand brought in $80 Friday, a bit shy of the few hundred they hoped to raise. For more information on Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation CLICK HERE.
E-mail: dwimmer@ksl.com
