A new event by Make-A-Wish Canada aims to raise funds through lemonade stands across Alberta this summer, while also quenching people’s thirst.
Lemonade for Wishes is a program that allows families, individuals and businesses across Alberta to host lemonade stands to raise donations to grant wishes for children across Canada.
The summer event started in Saskatchewan and has expanded to B.C. and Alberta as a fun and unique activity for communities to participate in.
The event started in June and will continue through September, with the goal of granting 1,600 wishes across Canada, including 230 wishes for kids from Alberta.
According to Carrie Properzi, Development Officer for Make-A-Wish Canada, 13 stands are registered in Alberta, consisting of Individuals, wish families, and Calgary Community associations. One family from Calgary has raised $1,843 through two stands.
Although this is Alberta’s first year participating in the event, it has already surpassed its $5,000 fundraising goal, generating $6,055.35 as of Aug. 30.
“Basically, any money raised for Make-a-Wish goes back for the exact same purpose. It all goes towards granting wishes,” Properzi said.
Since the Make-A-Wish Foundation is a registered non-profit, it relies on funding through community partners, corporate sponsors and individual donors. A major source of revenue for the organization is events and campaigns involving the community.
“There are hundreds of kids just in Alberta who are waiting to receive a wish, which is a lot considering all the time, energy and money that needs to go into every wish,” Properzi said.
Lemonade for Wishes was one of the first in-person campaigns the organization has been able to host since the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions earlier this year.
“Things we used to do through the year like galas and different events where we were out, and in the community, we basically had to stop all of that through COVID,” Properzi said, adding that outside of wishes being placed on hold due to travel restrictions from the pandemic, funding has played a major factor.
“Unfortunately, during the two years where we had closures, we had to put so many wishes on hold,” she said.
Although there are currently no active stands in Cochrane, Properzi invites the Cochrane community to get involved in Lemonade for Wishes.
“But hopefully we will see some in September and continue to see the event grow next year,” she said.
Paul Singh, a Cochrane resident who is very involved in the community, believes residents should get involved in the final month of the event.
“I’m sure kids would love to be part of that,” Singh said “Without even knowing, they already do things like lemonade stands, so if they had something like this on a bigger scale, that would be great.”
Singh believes that if local children were more aware of the program, it would garner more interest and be a great learning opportunity for a good cause.
“If the resource has been provided to the kids by June, July or August, during summer time break, then they would love to do it,” says Singh. “It would bring out entrepreneurship for a great cause.”
