Just one day after his father’s death, a six-year-old boy opened up a lemonade stand to raise money to take his mother on a date.
Brady Campbell, from Denver, wanted to honour his father’s dying wish and take his mum, Amanda, for a Friday night date night.
Without the financial means necessary, young Brady had to think like an entrepreneur if he wanted to treat his mother to an evening out. Little did he know just how successful the stand would be.
Brady, whose dad tragically passed away from colon cancer on July 7, told Fox 31 about a conversation they had shared prior to his death:
My dad and I came up with the idea of a lemonade stand to take my mom on a date because I didn’t have enough money and I wanted to pay, so I did it.
Brady’s lemonade business was set up earlier this month, and soon caught the eye of a Denver police officer, who placed a radio call to other first responders.
Soon, officers in firetrucks and police cars drove up to buy Brady’s lemonade, with the stand raising a very refreshing $244 on the first day of business.
According to Fox 31, Amanda said:
It was amazing. You could just feel the warmth and energy and such a positive thing in such a tragic time for us. It really lifted our spirits and really made Brady so happy.
Brandon was a savvy businessman and wanted to teach Brady all those lessons, and I could just [see] it happening. It made my heart really happy.
A virtual version of Brady’s lemonade stand has now been established via GoFundMe, with donations going towards cancer research and future outings for Brady and Amanda. At the time of writing, the page has raised $28,573, with a goal of $50,000.
Amanda told Fox 31:
Maybe we will have our Friday night date night. Brandon and I used to do that, so I think we will start that and take the time to spend that time together,
I feel like [the lemonade stand] gives some purpose to such a tragedy.
For their first Friday night date, Amanda and Brady intend to head out for sushi and ice cream together. Brady hopes to make their date night a weekly occurrence.
You can donate to Brady’s Virtual Lemonade Stand here
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677.
Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.