Three Grafton girls have turned a simple lemonade stand into a powerful force for community good, raising more than $10,000 for local charities over five years.
Kennedy Siewert started the stand in third grade, initially hoping to provide refreshments to nearby construction workers. What began as a small gesture has grown into a significant charitable enterprise.
Watch: Young entrepreneurs raise over $10,000 for local charities with lemonade stand
"The first year I raised $283, and now, we've raised $10,803," Kennedy said. "You get to give back to people who need it."
Instead of keeping the profits, Kennedy and her friends Addison Town and Kylie Conrad have directed the funds to charities like Grafton's Family Sharing and the Grafton Police Foundation.
Grafton Police Chief Jeff Caponera praised the young entrepreneurs' efforts to help them get their K-9 program off the ground
"Every little bit helps — This is a great example of our future leaders right here coming up in our community," Caponera said.
The trio is already planning for this year's stand in mid-August, seeking sponsors and setting ambitious goals of a further $5,000 to add to their total.
As the girls approach high school age, this year's lemonade stand will be their last. They're preparing to pass the tradition down to younger children in the neighborhood.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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