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Valley students sell lemonade to raise cancer-research funds
By Denise Dick
Valley students sell lemonade to raise cancer-research funds
By DENISE DICK
BOARDMAN
The school year is over, but some students at Mahoning County High School devoted time to a service project to raise money for childhood cancer research.
The school’s Student Service Organization set up an Alex’s Lemonade Stand on Friday at Southern Park Mall. Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation was founded 10 years ago by 4-year-old Alexandra Scott.
Alex, who battled cancer, started the fundraiser, selling lemonade in her front yard.
She died in 2004 at age 8 after her foundation raised more than $1 million.
Karen Guerrieri, adviser to the student service organization, posed the lemonade stand idea to the students.
“I saw it on the back of a bag of Stacy’s pita chips,” Guerrieri said.
The group did other service projects throughout the school year but wanted to do a big project to end the year, she said.
Seniors Vanity Jones, Tequila Jackson and Angel Williams, all 17, and of Youngstown, and junior Sarah Rounds, 16, of Austintown, worked the stand Friday afternoon.
“We wanted to do something to help the community,” Tequila said. “No one should have to suffer with cancer.”
“Especially little kids,” Sarah added.
Angel said she liked the idea for the project because all the money raised goes to fight childhood cancers.
“It helps the community and kids with cancer,” Vanity said.
It’s a cause particularly close to Tequila. Her young cousin suffered from cancer.
“He was 5 then, and now he’s 9, and he’s fine,” she said.
Mahoning County High School on Hudson Avenue in Youngstown is a joint venture of the Mahoning County Educational Service Center and juvenile court. It gives students who have had problems in their home schools an alternative to earn high-school credits, Guerrieri said.