This Is No Typical Lemonade Stand

It's not unusual to see kids operating a lemonade stand in the summertime. But it is when it's in Columbus Circle. And the money is being raised for immigrant children separated from their parents, as well as the homeless.

That was the case on Sunday, as about a dozen children, ages 5-7, set up to distribute 7,000 cups of lemonade for $1 each.

Six-year-old Hadley is going into first grade at P.S. 33. She was moved by the cause.

"[For] charity to help children find their parents or homeless people that need stuff," she said.

School children operated a lemonade stand in Columbus Circle to raise money for migrant children and the homeless, on July 29, 2018.

(Kate Hinds / WNYC)

The money was to go to two charities their parents helped choose: The Young Center, which helps migrant children, and New York Cares, a volunteer resource center that helps the homeless among many other causes.

Parent Leslie Boghosian Murphy helped coordinate the event with others from P.S. 33, P.S. 89, P.S. 199 and St. Ignatius Loyola & Marymount School of New York. She said young children are aware enough of the news to be moved to action.

"They have somewhat of a pedestrian understanding of what's going on in the world, but when they see certain pictures, they say, 'mom we want to help this or we want to help that,' so we thought a lemonade stand would be a good idea," she said.

Several businesses provided donations for what the group called the "Lemonade Stand for Charity," including Country Time, Whole Foods, Williams Sonoma and Home Depot. Boghosian Murphy said the NYPD gave them permission to set up shop in Columbus Circle, and some officers helped out.

Lemonade stand in Columbus Circle, July 29, 2018.

(Kate Hinds / WNYC)