Nine-Year-Old's Lemonade Stand Raises Thousands for Detroit: Did You Have a Lemonade Stand When You Were a Kid?

by mrosen814 Posted 2012/08/08 18:00:00

Related Topics: Lifestyle, Lemonade Stand, Lemonade, Detroit

549 votes
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	Yes	241 votes	44%
	No	308 votes	56%

Nine-year-old Joshua Smith opened a lemonade stand to raise money after his mother explained why he couldn't walk down the street to play in his neighborhood park. "The city only has enough money to cut the grass twice a year and there's just too much trash down there," she told him.

Josh took it upon himself to raise money to help the city out. He opened up a lemonade stand and ended up raising well over $3,000 for Detroit. His father, a math teacher, has been amazed at the response. "I’m very proud of him. It’s not often that someone sees a small problem and wants to do anything about it, much less a big problem -- the city’s broke. We have adults who understand some of the complexities of that and come away jaded and negative."

GOOD.IS reports:
He thought his city would "cease to exist, like, Pluto" so he set up a fundraiser on his stoop.

reports city cease exist pluto fundraiser stoop

+13

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Fef 2012/08/08 19:08:35

Yes

+14
Governments have nearly outlawed lemonade stands now. My kids fear the police will raid them for not having a health inspection, paying taxes, business permit, etc...
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More polls by mrosen814

joe mauro 2012/08/08 19:58:43

No

+2
no lemonade stands in brooklyn,people just dont pay then beat you up

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CAPISCE 2012/08/08 19:55:39

Yes

We also picked Bluberrys and Apples and sold them

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SA 2012/08/08 19:51:58

Yes

+1
I sure did.

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TasselLady 2012/08/08 19:50:53 (edited)

No

+1
I wouldn't now if you paid me. Look at what happened to some kids who opened one? Some a-hole robbed the kids of all the money they made at the lemonade stand. Talk about lower than whale turd. But it's great that these kids were able to raise that kind of money. That's really neat!

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Conservatism Rules 2012/08/08 19:50:22

Yes

+2
Now the best part, the Detroit Mayor Dave Bing has excepted the young Joshua donation for the city, yet not clean up of the play ground. And the parent have already been made aware to file the proper tax filing for 2012.

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merlinskiss 2012/08/08 19:47:40

No

But we had a moonshine and liquor catering business in high school for all the parties...

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spencerc143 2012/08/08 19:46:23

Yes

Haha yep i made some hard core cash man.

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FordCrews 2012/08/08 19:42:23

No

+1
Sold figs, corn, and peanuts. Sadly these days, had he been white, they would have shut him down for not paying taxes.

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Rockne1865 to FordCrews 2012/08/08 20:46:26

He was raising money charity so no problems with the tax man, but the health Dept that's another story!

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hat man 2012/08/08 19:41:54

No

+2
I was the chief. The kids in the neighbourhood would set up their stands and pay me a cut of the profits. It was a tribute. Just like in the old country. Oh wait...

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the fuze 2012/08/08 19:41:29

No

But I applaud those that have/do.

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Transquesta 2012/08/08 19:39:06

No

+3
No, I was too busy selling [bubblegum] on the street corner. :-)

But even if I had one when I was a kid, I damned SURE wouldn't have donated the proceeds to Detroit!

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BigFig#9 2012/08/08 19:38:53

Yes

Close - a Kool Aide Stand. Diversified to adding Candy and bottles of Coke. Became a true vulture capitalist by assigning the 2 year younger kid next door as my counter sales person and paying him - well by not beating his ass. (Wasn't necessarily an ethical entrepreneur.)

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Beccy 2012/08/08 19:37:59

Yes

+2
I saw this on the news the other day. He has raised alot of money. His parents should be proud.

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M A 2012/08/08 19:36:45

Yes

Didnt even have to pay taxes

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Heisenberg 2012/08/08 19:35:40

Yes

+8
Similar. I had a clandestine candy business.

Instead of dealing crack, I sold candy in the schools.

I worked for an allowance then used my allowance money to buy candy at the wholesaler which I sold surreptitiously in school at a big mark-up.

I learned at an early age to hate government regulations and how to get around them.

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cddjmikey 2012/08/08 19:26:40

Yes

+2
I think I earned just shy of $20 ! Which is about $20 MORE then Obama ever earned in his life as a private citizen !! I think that now a days it would actually cost more then that to set one up with all the stupid regulations they have now !!!

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Aidan_Bannanarama_Rowlands c: 2012/08/08 19:26:20

No

i only ever saw them in cartoons.. :c

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Chris 2012/08/08 19:24:34

Yes

We were innovative, we sold lemonaid as well as several different Kool-Aid flavors. :P

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Tarnjar.Jayne.Grainger 2012/08/08 19:23:04

No

I wish I did though:3

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Rocky 2012/08/08 19:18:06

No

+1
When I was little I was at the end of a dead end street. Who is going to go there?

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wolfbabe 2012/08/08 19:12:21

No

+1
Well i might still be able 2 im 13ys old lol :)

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Cricket 2012/08/08 19:11:57

No

I was too busy climbing trees :-)

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Jan Haskell 2012/08/08 19:10:54

Yes

But certainly nothing comparable to this great kid!

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Nuke 2012/08/08 19:10:50

No

I had a candy stand, go to sams club, buy in bulk then divide cost of container by pieces and find out cost of each candy, then double the cost to make a profit...
My brother and I made a killing!

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Enya 2012/08/08 19:09:44

No

Nor did I know anyone who did.

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Fef 2012/08/08 19:08:35

Yes

+14
Governments have nearly outlawed lemonade stands now. My kids fear the police will raid them for not having a health inspection, paying taxes, business permit, etc...

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BigFig#9 to Fef 2012/08/08 19:49:17

+1
Really - where is that? Says you're from LA and I've seen stands all around the traditional 'burbs. (Alhambra, Pasadena.) I know the police get a little concerned if they try to set up on a main street but I've actually seen Police stopped at a stand for refreshments here locally. Almost sounds like a conservative urban legendor at the very least hyperbole. (Now if they are out every day in a commercial venture that's not a typical road side kid's stand I could see that.) I did a little Internet searching and did find some anecdotal examples of stands shut down (6 since 1983) but in a rather large country 6 occurrences is not what you would call a national movement to shut down lemonade stands.

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Sister Jean 2012/08/08 19:05:58

No

+1
no

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Atlas 2012/08/08 19:05:36

Yes

Yes I did. Coincidentally I was contemplating that very thing earlier this afternoon.

"Quickie's Lemonade, twenty five cents a cup!"

I always had a mind for business.

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BigFig#9 to Atlas 2012/08/08 19:50:26

+1
Vodka added for $1.25 and I'll be your first customer....

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Oli 2012/08/08 19:05:09

No

+1
What a great kid!

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t.eliot, topbard 2012/08/08 19:02:02

No

+1
I had a paper route, cut lawns, shoveled snow and babysat.

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Pikachu 2012/08/08 19:01:32

No

+1
But I did have a rock selling stand. I kid you not.

Also, I can brew a mean lemonade now

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