Spring Valley lemonade stand leads to $1,200 for Cops 4 Cancer

While many children enjoy creating lemonade stands over the summer, a group of Spring Valley kids took their lemonade stand and started an event that has raised more than $1,200 for Cops 4 Cancer.

The stand was created and manned by a team of neighborhood children, including Vivi and Beni Verucchi; Reese, Rus and Claire Valtikauski; Lilian Bouxsein; Loki Mcsherry; Franki Wightman; Camden Baracani; Brodie, Ellie and Cece Giacalone; and Kal Kassabaum.

Brianna Pienta, the mother of Vivi and Beni Verucchi, said the kids have had a lemonade stand for many years and then they decide where they want to donate the money.

“Our oldest, she decided she wanted to donate it to cancer research so they made signs and did all that stuff, and whatever we raised we were going to donate to cancer research,” Pienta said. “Then my dad came over and he said ‘Why don’t you donate to Cops 4 Cancer.’ ”

Pienta said while the lemonade stands they have put together in the past have raised about $300 to $400 for various causes, they could not have imagined the response they have gotten from the community this year.

“I posted a picture on Facebook just thanking everyone for coming and then the Venmos just started to come in,” Pienta said. “We are at like $1,200 right now and I wasn’t even asking for Venmos, it was just people just sending them.”

Pienta’s Facebook post gathered the attention of the community surrounding the young volunteers as many individuals took it upon themselves to contribute to their efforts.

The post read: “Check out these kids. They made signs, they made up routines, they kept up with the demand, they screamed and waved as people went by. They tried so hard to raise money for cancer and they succeeded. $400 will be donated to Cops 4 Cancer. Thank you everyone for the support.”

The children sold lemonade and cookies to those that visited their set up in order to raise the donation total. Pienta was proud of all of the participants but also wanted to thank the community that made it possible.

“Our community is awesome,” Pienta said. “We own Jack’s Tap and we do a lot of fundraising through that. Our oldest has really latched on to it and the youngest is getting there. Our oldest, she loves to give and that’s always nice to see.”

Vivi Verucchi said she wanted to raise money for cancer research because of her friend Ali Bryant who died from breast cancer in 2020. Verucchi decided to support the cause in her memory.

Verucchi said the lemonade stand is something she enjoys and the support they have gotten from the community gives her and the other children the want to make next year’s stand even bigger and better.