On Tuesday morning, Family and Children’s Services (FACS) Niagara hosted a special event to celebrate the results of the second annual Mountainview LemonAID Day campaign, which was held on June 10.
One hundred lemonade stands all across the region raised a whopping $100,106.
“This event truly was a community undertaking,” said Ellen Schonewille, who is the manager of donor relations at FACS Niagara. “Twenty-one stands raised $1,000 or more, and five of those raised $2,000 or more.”
The top fundraising team were the Citrus Twists who raised a record-breaking $4,314.50.
With the money raised, FACS Niagara will be able to provide nearly 500 weeks of summer camp to more than 330 local children.
In a speech, FACS Niagara CEO Anna Bozza highlighted the impact that the annual campaign has had.
“We have a couple of kids going to camps where their medical needs and their one-on-one needs are being met,” she told the gathered crowd. “Frankly, they’re just really expensive camps and they’re hard to find. I just can’t wait to hear and see their experiences.”
This summer, FACS Niagara expects to give approximately 500 children a summer camp experience.
This includes week long day camps in Niagara, overnight camps outside the region, specialty camps to support children with complex special needs, supporting camping trips with foster parents, and special camp-at-home baskets for more than 100 families, filled with sports equipment, games, and activities.
Just like last year, the LemonAID campaign is a collaboration with the Mountainview Building Group, who provided everything families would need to run a stand, including hats and T-shirts.
“We all have a role to play in building strong communities,” said Mark Basciano, President of Mountainview Building Group. “We are proud to do our part to help make a meaningful impact on the lives of children in Niagara.”
St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe and Thorold Mayor Terry Ugulini were both in attendance during Tuesday’s celebration.
“We had a great response within the City of Thorold,” said Ugulini. “I see the event growing every year. It’s a no-brainer. We’re going to keep supporting it. I know council is behind it. I can’t wait for next year.”
Ugulini said that it's inspiring to see kids helping kids, a sentiment that was echoed by the CEO of FACS Niagara.
“The world is a challenging place right now,” Bozza said. “When you see the little ones wanting to help other little ones, it kind of restores faith in not just humanity, but also our future. These kids are our future leaders, our caretakers, and it’s just wonderful to see.”
