February 4, 2005

Turning lemons into lemonade

Fourth grader is spurred into action by victims of tsunami

By Julie Davis Berry
Executive Editor

Sometimes it’s hard to know how children “process” a tragedy. Some kids may not react that much to visions of 9/11, the war in Iraq, earthquakes or most recently the tsunami that swept across large portions of Southeast Asia the day after Christmas, while others are spurred to action wanting to become involved in some way. Maybe then they can help “fix” the problem.

Passersby couldn’t resist the sight of Nathan McCabe and his little sister Hannah who set up a lemonade stand on Quito Road in January to raise money to help the tsunami victims. Nathan’s goal was to raise $175 to purchase a tent to house a family of five was reached in just two hours (with a little help from mom and dad).

That is exactly how Sacred Heart fourth grader Nathan McCabe reacted to the visions of people’s lives being destroyed by the Southeast Asia Tsunami on Dec. 26 and its lingering after affects.

Nathan woke up one lazy Sunday in January and decided that he wanted to build a lemonade stand to raise money for the tsunami victims.

“The idea was all his own,” said his dad Kevin. “It struck both my wife and I with its genuine nature.”

Nathan decided that he wanted to raise enough money to buy a house to provide shelter for the victims. He and his mother, Susan, did some research on the Internet and found out that through the American Red Cross $175 would purchase a five-person waterproof tent that could be used as a shelter.

Nathan asked his dad to get some building materials from the garage so he could build his lemonade stand. Nathan quickly hammered together his stand, then turned his attention to making signs. One of his dad’s favorites was the graphic of the tsunami wave + $ = smiles.

He then enlisted his little sister Hannah, a first grader at Sacred Heart, to set up and man the stand with him on busy Quito Road near Woodbank Drive.

“I thought it would be a success if just one person stopped but we were amazed at the compassion of the community,” said Kevin.

Several people stopped at the sight of the little boy and his little sister selling lemonade and snacks to raise money for the tsunami victims. Some bought fruit snacks for 50 cents; some bought lemonade for a dollar; and many donated money directly.

Even the neighbors got into the spirit, bringing Nathan and Hannah hot chocolate so they could keep warm. After nearly two hours the duo had collected $132. Nathan dug into his own savings and put in $8 of his own money. His mom and dad donated the rest to help Nathan reach his goal of $175.

“It struck me how easy it is to do something good when you put your mind to it,” said Nathan’s proud dad. “Even parents can learn from kids sometimes.”