Aug 31, 2007 2:53 pm US/Eastern
Orr At The Shore: Alex's Lemonade Stand
WILDWOOD, N.J. (CBS 3) ―
Alex Scott of Wynnewood was only 4 years old when she decided to sell lemonade to raise money for pediatric cancer research. She did this as she fought the disease herself.
When Alex died at the age of 8 she had raised over a million dollars and created a nationwide fundraising movement that today has raised more than 10 million dollars. Much that money coming from lemonade stands held by families around the country and right here in our area. Kathy Orr met one of those families when they held a Stand for Hope on the Wildwood Boardwalk.
For the past 3 years the Mandes family of Brigantine, New Jersey has been part of Alex's Lemonade Stand legacy.
Julie Mandes first heard about Alex's Lemonade Stand at the Smithville school where she teaches. She describes her reaction to the fundraiser, "I was shocked I couldn't believe anyone could hold a stand." But that wasn't going to stop her from trying.
In 2005 she asked her twin sons Joey and Michael if they'd like to hold their own Alex's Lemonade Stand, she says they were all for it, "they were excited, they wanted to help".
But they weren't satisfied with just doing it once. That year they magnified the idea with a lemonade stand every week, all summer long in front of their grandparents' home in Brigantine.
On this day the family had set up their stand on the Wildwood boards. 12 year old Michael says he wanted to help sick children. "The kids with cancer just sit around all day in a hospital. Sometimes they can't do everything we can do, but we can change that if people just give a little money".
Michael's twin brother Joey says, "it's a great cause, I like to help out kids with cancer."
The boys have been honored with the Gold Presidential Award for Volunteerism.
When all 3 summers are added up the Mandes family expects to have raised more than 13 thousand dollars for pediatric cancer research as they keep alive the memory of Alex Scott.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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