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He was horrified when he saw the news about the devastating fires on the Hawaiian island of Maui on television.
Determined to do something to help, five-year-old Edison Juel decided to open his own lemonade stand near his home in Seattle, USA, to help raise funds to send to the victims.
With the help of his parents, Ami and Matt, he set up his stand in his street, selling lemonade, sparkling water, toys, popsicles and lollipops. He also accepted donations.
Touched by his eagerness to make a difference, members of his community were soon queuing up to support his pop-up stall. Within hardly any time the pre-schooler had raised over $17 000 (R323 000), which he plans to donate to the Maui Community Fund.
He, his parents, and his younger brother, Archie, were on holiday in Hawaii when the terrifying fires broke out, which claimed at least 115 lives. Luckily they were safe on the island of Oahu at the time, but a few months before they'd been on Maui and stayed in Lahaina, the area that was worst affected by the fires.
So when Edison saw the footage of the fires, it really upset him.
"It was Wednesday afternoon, we had the news on, and he asked me to turn it off because he said that made him too sad," his mom told USA Today. "At that point, I realised he really was paying attention and listening, that we needed to actually address it. I hadn't really intended to tell him about it necessarily."
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Ami was able to explain to her son where the fires were and that he was safe but that many people were hurt. While it was difficult for Edison to comprehend the devastation at a young age, it was easy for him to want to help in any way he could.
When he told his parents that he wanted to raise money for the victims of the fires they supported the idea and helped him set up a lemonade stand on their street which he operated between 10am and 6pm.
They then posted videos on social media and shared it with friends and family.
READ MORE| Homes incinerated and lives lost – a look at the Hawaii fire horror
Edison was keen to name his stand Food & Stuff & Lemonade for Lahaina but his parents were able to talk him into rather going with the snappier Lemonade for Lahaina.
Ami advised her son that it would a good idea to have a payment app that would allow customers to easily make electronic payments.
“We got a $500 [R9 500] donation and couldn’t believe it, but Edison was more excited about the kid who showed up with a bag full of coins,” Ami says.
As news spread about the stand, they were soon inundated with customers who were keen to buy cold beverages and make donations. Ami says it never occurred to them when they set up the stand that they'd raise so much money.
“Even after the sale ended, we had people contacting me to donate," she says. “We had several people tell us that they felt helpless and didn’t know how they could support Hawaii and it was a cup of lemonade that gave them a way to contribute."
SOURCES: GOODNEWSNETWORK.ORG, USATODAY.COM, KING5.COM, SPORTSKEEDA.COM, SCRIPPSNEWS.COM
