You would have to be pretty rotten to steal a kid’s hard earned money.
That’s exactly what happened to twins Katelyn and Elias Smidt, 9 from Ames, Iowa when they put up a lemonade stand. The twins were super excited setting up their table, sign, and freshly made lemonade.
It was all going really well with the entire community supporting the small business until a woman in a car drove up.
The twins’ mom, Karen Hatting Smidt, posted the story on Facebook,
“Goodness gracious. The kids have so been looking forward to having a lemonade stand all summer. Today was THE day!! We’ve had so many amazing people stop by. UNTIL….one bad apple. They drove up, katelyn asked if she wanted lemonade. The girl snatched the tip jar and jumped back in the car and squealed away…..with all the kids money. This is a picture of happier times when they started the day!”
So naturally, Smidt called the Ames Police Department to report the incident.
Officer Celena Rohland heard the story, which she then narrated to her colleagues, who then spread the tale to their other friends. Over the next few days, people flocked to the lemonade stand in support of the twins.
We’re talking police officers, firefighters, local business owners, residents, and even the electric department.
“Officer Rohland and the first responders of our community changed the tides when they showed up to show their support after the robbery,” Smidt told Fox News. “Our kids went from scared and unsure how to trust the next person…to wide-eyed, smiling and so excited to serve them lemonade.
“Our street was filled with police cars and firetrucks and a whole lot of smiles. Because of those first responders, our kids found a renewed sense of energy and wanted to open their stand the next day…and the next day. Our community showed up in a big way and we are and continue to be overwhelmed by the support.”
She continued.
Imagine how the twins felt after that woman stole their money and sped off.
What the community did was nothing but pure support and a total outpouring of love for their own. Elias and Katelyn, suddenly jolted with all the love, showed their kindness as well.
The twins offered free lemonade with an optional tip. Then they announced that all tip money would be donated to the “Shop with a Cop” program. It’s a program that helps disadvantaged families enjoy the holidays.
A Venmo account was set up and immediately, $3,525.40 was raised for “Shop with a Cop”.
It’s a good thing the twins took Thursday off!
Smidt and the kids were so exhausted that they were obliged to take the day to rest. You can imagine how tiring it must have been serving so much lemonade to so many people!
When people band together to promote positivity and goodness, amazing things happen. Plus the twins know that in life there will be moments of pain, but there’s always a nice cold glass of lemonade in the end.
That’s how you make a bad day better! Hit play for more on the lemonade stand below!
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