Fighting cancer, one cup at a time

HAYDEN - Krista Bradley knew her 10-year-old daughter, Trysten, had an entrepreneurial spirit.

After a lemonade stand grew last month into a four-day philanthropic project, Bradley learned that both of her children, Trysten and younger brother Kile, 6, are not only good small business managers. They're humanitarians.

The kids spent one hot, sunny July day outside their grandparents' Hayden home selling cups of lemonade for 25 cents each. They made $11, and later that night, without any prompting, decided to donate their proceeds to help children with cancer.

"My heart stopped when they said that. I actually couldn't talk for a moment because this was with no influence at all. This was 100 percent their decision and idea," Bradley said. "I'm very proud of them."

Bradley wiped a tear from her eye, and said cancer killed her grandfather.

Trysten said the idea to donate the money to help kids with the disease just came to her as she thought about the lemonade stand. She talked her little brother into the idea of giving the money to help sick children.

The two kids were back at it the next day. Galvanized by their new purpose, they worked the stand for two more days.

Carol Denny, the children's grandmother, said the youngsters hawked their product well, shouting at potential customers.

Anyone that passed by the stand, in the Grouse Meadows neighborhood, was fair game, said 6-year-old Kile.

"We decided it would be walking, running, jogging, driving and bicycles," he said.

Trysten, who will be entering fifth grade at Borah Elementary School in Coeur d'Alene this fall, said she set a $50 goal. After four days of hard work, getting up at 7 a.m. each day to set up and breaking down at the end of the day, the children raised $130.

Many of the kids' customers were members of the Hayden Lake Eagles, where their grandparents are members.

Trysten and Kile attended a meeting Wednesday at the Eagles club where they presented the funds to Ray Potter, an Eagles member who coordinates the club's efforts to raise money for Kootenai Health Foundation's cancer patient support fund.

Before the kids made their donation, Eagles members dug into their pockets and put more money into the pot, swelling Trysten and Kile's fundraising effort to $269.

Potter said the funds will be donated to the cancer patient fund with the request that they be used to assist children battling the disease.

"To have these kids do this, have a lemonade stand and then decide to give it to kids with cancer, right there, that touched my heart that they're wanting to help out," Potter said.