4-year-olds set up adorable lemonade stand to raise money for Orlando victims fund
A group of kids ere selling lemonade at New York Pride last weekend – to raise money to support Orlando victims.
As the city held its annual Pride parade on Saturday, four-year-olds Sam Bernstein and Finn Madden and three-year-old Dean Haines set up a lemonade stand to raise money for the victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting.
The trio had a lot of help from their parents as they set up the stand, but proud mum Stephanie Bernstein says they were excited to be making a difference.
She told Babble: “The boys loved being responsible for the ‘store,’ and took greater pride in knowing they were doing something to help others.
“Being surrounded by rainbows and cookies didn’t hurt, either.
“I told Sam that we were going to have a chance to do many special things all at once.
“We were going to celebrate life and celebrate love by sharing some of the things that make us happiest. And we were going to try and make some money to help people who were no longer able to do this because of a terrible tragedy in Orlando.”
The trio charged $1 for lemonade and a cookie – and managed to sell out, raising $137 from sales on the day. However, many people have also donated money in solidarity – bringing their total to $250.
All of the money has been donated to an Orlando support fund, which has so far raised $6 million for survivors and the families of victims.
Michelle Madden added: “We live in Greenwich Village, where we are incredibly fortunate to have so many diverse people and lifestyles celebrated all around us.
“Prejudice is learned — it is not innate. If every 4-year-old today was taught tolerance, think of the world we could look forward to!”
Ms Bernstein told Buzzfeed that her son has grown up never even questioning gay rights.
She said: “For us, gay rights are such a big thing, but when I was explaining it to my 4-year-old he just said, ‘Of course you should marry whoever you want.’ I love that our children are living in a time when gay rights are just normal.”
#Lemonade singer Beyoncé is yet to comment.
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