Photo by Jean Falbo-Sosnovich
The Carboni family at their lemonade stand Sunday.
SEYMOUR — A 9‑year-old girl whose big brother battled cancer last year hosted a lemonade stand Sunday to help other kids with the disease.
Arabella Carboni’s 12-year-old brother, Ronan, was diagnosed last year with lymphoma. Thankfully it was caught quickly and did not spread, leaving the curly-haired pre-teen cancer free.
The experience made an impression on Arabella, who set up a lemonade stand with the help of her family on Sunday to benefit Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, a charity that supports research aimed at ending childhood cancers.
“I wanted to help my brother when he got cancer,” Arabella said. “He was able to beat it, but I want to help other kids who are sick. It makes me feel good to help.”
For five hours Sunday, the Carboni family, including parents CaraMarie and Dan, braved the scorching heat and humidity and welcomed a steady flow of thirsty customers to their colorful lemonade stand set up at the corner of their Brookdale Road neighborhood.
Photo by Jean Falbo-Sosnovich
Arabella Carboni
More than $770 was raised, according to Dan Carboni. Many people who paid a visit didn’t even ask for a cup of lemonade, but rather just dropped $5, $10 and $20 bills into a plastic donation jar.
Ronan beamed with pride when asked what his little sister’s efforts meant to him.
“It makes me very, very proud to see what she’s doing to help other kids who aren’t as lucky as I was,” Ronan said. “She’s paying it forward.”
Some of those folks who stopped by Arabella’s stand on Sunday didn’t care how hot it was outside, they just wanted to help.
“We were on our way home from church, and saw the sign earlier in the morning for the lemonade stand,” said the Carboni’s neighbor, Ellis Stanley, who, with his wife, Donna, were happy to purchase a cup of lemonade. “Arabella could be out doing anything else today, playing with her friends or swimming, but she’s here doing her part to help other kids. In today’s climate, that’s as refreshing as this lemonade.”
Alex Stevens, of Seymour, also noticed the colorful blue and yellow signs leading to Arabella’s lemonade stand and was compelled to stop.
“I used to do lemonade stands myself when I was a kid, and when I saw this was for charity, I always do what I can to support these types of things,” Stevens said.
Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation is named after Alex Scott, who was diagnosed with cancer on her first birthday and passed away in 2004 at just 8 years old. Her idea to host a lemonade stand years ago eventually led to the creation of the foundation, which has raised more than $200 million for pediatric cancer research.
Dan Carboni noted that he and Ronan got involved in fundraising last fall by participating in “Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation’s One Million Mile Walk/Race,” the nation’s largest childhood cancer fundraising event.
Logging miles up and down nearby Wakelee Avenue, the father/son duo raised more than $2,300. The family learned about hosting a charity lemonade stand through the foundation, and to date, with donations from Sunday’s stand and online donations, Arabella has raised more than $1,300.
“People really come together, and that’s what I love so much about the Valley,” said Dan Carboni.
Anyone interested in making a donation to Arabella’s lemonade stand can do so online by visiting Bella’s Lemonade Stand.
