Girls in Florida sell pink lemonade, donate money to breast cancer research

March 26, 2009

Two 8-year-old girls in Orlando, Florida, located in the United States, have made a big donation to the research and curing of breast cancer. Victoria Petrucelly and Jesse Theobald along with classmates from their third grade class at The Christ School, raised almost US$24,000 by setting up lemonade stands and selling pink lemonade.

The two girls were thinking about starting the lemonade stand in 2008, but were inspired to donate money when Petrucelly's mother, who suffered from the disease, died on Valentine's Day, February 14.

"When my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, we decided to make it a pink lemonade stand to raise money for people with cancer," Petrucelly said to the press. Other cash donations were made by companies like Publix Supermarkets and the restaurant chain Chick-Fil-A.

Between the students and two girls, nearly 65 gallons of the sweet and sour drink were sold on the weekend ending March 22. They hoped to raise just $50. MD Anderson Cancer Center, which is located in Orlando, received the donation, presented by the two girls in a ceremony earlier this week.