Kids 

Buy a Glass, Save a Class

The story of the little lemonade stand that could

When Sister Ann Wachter of San Francisco's Convent Elementary School decided that the slogan for the 2006--2007 school year would be "Take action for a better world," little did she know the chaos she would release. But then again, one should never underestimate the power of a group of energetic six-year-olds.

Truthfully, the result should not have been completely unexpected. Anyone who has a six-year-old under their roof knows the results of a young brain running without a braking mechanism within sight. Children at this age are imagination on wheels, little creatures looking for their place in the world even as they go seven directions at one. At this point in the story we focus on two little creatures in particular: Isabella and Sydney.

Best friends forever, of course. They finish each other's sentences, collect nicknames on a daily basis and already have long conversations over the phone. One day they announced to their parents that they had started a new group at their school called "The Money Club." To say that their parents were intrigued-even concerned-would be an understatement. But the parents quickly discovered the girls had taken Sister Ann's slogan to heart and were determined to "take action" themselves. The Money Club was searching for something to sink its teeth into.

So the planning started. Isabella would sit up in bed at night, scribbling furiously on notepads and pieces of paper. Rules of the Money Club. Objectives of the Money Club. Titles of the Money Club's members. Parents were notified that a meeting was scheduled. Was it possible to have a white board from the office? Eisenhower planning the D-Day invasion had nothing on these intrepid philanthropists.

After several discussions-and wild ideas too numerous to catalog-it was finally decided: A lemonade stand would be the vehicle of choice for the Money Club's philanthropic fundraising efforts. Cookies were cooked (chocolate chip and oatmeal), lemonade was brewed and bold signs were created. And so, one sunny day in San Francisco's Fillmore district, the Money Club went to work. Very soon, Isabella and Sydney were bounding up to unsuspecting people out for a Sunday walk, explaining that they were selling lemonade and cookies for a very good cause. It was ambush/guerilla/street marketing at its very best. And after all, who can resist two little girls and cookies?

A conga line of grown-ups snaked towards their little table. There were people heading back from church. The inevitable crowd strolling down Fillmore Street looking for their first caffeine fix of the day. A motlier crew recovering from Saturday night was looking for solid sustenance. Apparently cookies were exactly what the latter was looking for.

Two hours after the initial ambush, the siege was over. All the lemonade was gone. The final batch of cookies had been swept up in a last-minute rush to the table. Selling cups of lemonade and cookies for fifty cents each had netted over $90 dollars. Now ca me the really fun part. Isabella and Sydney already knew they wanted to help children like themselves, so they went to DonorsChoose.org to identify a worthy recipient of their cookie and lemonade money. The nonprofit website makes it possible for individual donors to choose and fund teachers' projects at public schools.

Looking through the teachers' requests on the site, Isabella and Sydney found a low-inco me preschool in need of a digital ca me ra. Not only was the ca me ra intended for classroom projects, teachers also used photographs to keep parents infor me d of school activities, since many of the parents did not speak English. With so me additional assistance from their own parents, Isabella and Sydney were able to make the request a reality.

The real impact of their work hit Isabella and Sydney the following month, when they received a package from the preschool containing photos of the students and a thank you note. They found out from the thank you note that the children use the camera every day. They had even taken pictures to create framed presents for their parents. Isabella and Sydney had truly found a gift that kept on giving.

What's next for the Money Club? Plotting has begun anew, of course. Plans are being examined and categorized. And it seems certain that at some point in the near future, an unsuspecting soul will be casually walking down Fillmore Street when a disarmingly charming pink and blonde dervish will suddenly appear in front of them. And then you will know that the Money Club is back in business.