Manhattan Beach siblings aim to raise $5,000 for Wounded Warriors
Emma and Cameron Cobb at their lemonade stand. Courtesy of Andrew Cobb
Early this year, 9-year-old Emma Cobb saw a television commercial that sprung her to action.
She and her father, Andrew Cobb, were watching the morning news in their Manhattan Beach home when the commercial for Wounded Warriors came on. Moved by the veterans’ inspiring message, she asked her father if the family could donate the monthly $19.
He had a better idea: What if she spent this upcoming summer with her younger brother Cameron to raise money for the organization? With their baby-sitter Kristen Merrill leading the charge, the siblings brought to life Lemon-aid. They set up a website, registered with Wounded Warriors and obtained a permit to sell at various places.
“They’re learning to earn it themselves,” said Cobb. “Anyone can just say, hey, can I have money, but when it comes time to doing it yourself most people don’t do it. So I wanted to teach them to have the follow-through to do it all.”
Cameron and Emma Cobb meet a soldier during their day out.
Since early July, the siblings, accompanied by Merrill, have spent nearly every day offering lemonade and water to passersby. They set up camp outside Bristol Farms, Whole Foods and Target, as well as the Pasadena Rose Bowl, but the Manhattan Beach Pier has been their mainstay.
The venture has been fruitful. So far, their lemonade stand has collected about $2,700 from sales and donations. Their goal is to reach $5,000 before school starts at the end of the month. Emma and Cameron will enter fourth and first grade, respectively, at Grand View Elementary School.
When Emma was asked what she had learned from Lemon-aid, she answered, “That it’s hard to get. It’s harder than asking your parents for money.”
To donate online, visit emmalcobb.wix.com/lemonaid.