Caroline Polgrabia is once again doing the rounds of Niagara council meetings, looking for help making summer “a little sweeter” for everyone.
She is asking Niagara municipalities to proclaim June 10 MountainView LemonAid Day, which has become an annual fundraiser to help send kids to camp.
Polgrabia, president of the Family and Children's Services (FACS) Niagara Foundation board, told Niagara-on-the-Lake councillors that last year about 100 lemonade stands set up across the region — eight in NOTL — raised $86,000 to help families send their kids to camp.
Across the region, she said, “families stepped up and parents got involved.” And with families receiving everything they needed to set up a stand, from the stand itself to the concentrate to make it, “100 per cent of the money raised went to the kids.”
The foundation has been around for almost 25 years to support FACS, said Polgrabia, by raising funds when they see a need over and above what government funding pays for.
This is just the second year for LemonAID day — it grew from an idea her two children, Jayden and Kaitlyn, had pre-pandemic. They wanted a lemonade stand, planning to buy ice cream with their proceeds. But they also decided to raise money to help other kids, and donated their money to help send kids to camp. Last year it became a regional event, organized by the FACS foundation board, with a goal of “kids helping other kids,” Polgrabia said.
Sending kids to summer camp, she explained, helps build their self-esteem, critical social skills that they might not be getting in other settings, and create “lifelong members that all kids should have.”
Thanks to Mark Bassiano of Mountainview, all the supplies, including the stand, banners, T-shirts and hats for kids, and lemon concentrate, is donated to those who participate.
"We didn’t want families to have to do anything - they could just run the stand and have fun,” said Polgrabia.
That meant 100 per cent of the money raised was able to help families supported by FACS, who lack the financial resources to send their kids to camp, “and we truly believe that the children should have that opportunity of these enriching experiences. That’s why this event is so important.”
Some went to day camp, said Polgrabia, others went to overnight, out-of-region camps, and some foster families were able to go on camping excursions that they wouldn’t have been able to do with their foster kids otherwise.
“There were also home baskets put together for those who were still COVID-shy,” she added, that had items such as scooters, skipping ropes and other things “to get the kids out and about. We really tried to serve all the families in whatever way they were comfortable.”
Last year, she said, she drove around to visit local stands, “and there were grandparents sitting there, neighbours sitting there, and the entire family was involved. It was really a fun event.
We’re excited to go ahead and do this again next year.”
There are already 34 stands registered for June 10, and $1,930 raised, said Polgrabia.
She has has a good reception from the municipalities she has been able to visit. NOTL Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa agreed to proclaim June 10 Mountainview LemonAID Day, and councillors congratulated her on the success of last year’s event.
After the NOTL deputation, Polgrabia’s son Jayden, 13, asked if he could do the next one, which was planned for Thorold. Mayor Terry Ugulini enthusiastically agreed, and when Jayden finished his presentation, Ugulini and council also endorsed June 10 as LemonAID Day.
“I just wanted to give it a go,” Jayden told PelhamToday sister site The Local of his request to speak to Thorold councillors, “and I thought if one kid or parent was watching, maybe they would want to sign up and help."
Was he nervous? "At the start, yes, but once I got closer to the end, I started to think I was doing okay and it got fun!"
LemonAID is important, he added, “because some kids don't get to go to camp like their friends. I think all kids should get to go to camp.”
To register for a LemonAID stand visit facsniagarafoundation.org.
