When life gives girls lemons

When Kyndal Williams, 8, of Afton, told her parents she wanted to do competition dance at The Spotlight School of Dance in Creston, her parents told her if she really wanted to do it, they would help her earn the money. Her big sister, Aubree, 10, doesn’t have any interest in dance. She wants a virtual reality (VR) headset - a good one.

Their mom, Mia, came up with the idea of a classic lemonade stand, and their dad got to building. “I didn’t even realize he could build anything, but he made the stand by hand,” Mia said. They began selling lemonade at their garage sale last year, and this year Mia suggested signing up for the Afton Farmers Market to get more business.

While the parents were integral in getting it up and running, Mia said the girls have taken over from there. “They have been very determined,” Mia said. “They mix all the lemonade and make the treats they sell.”

Kyndal needs to earn $650, and Aubree $450 to reach their goals. Kyndal said they have earned $258 this year before their event Tuesday at the farmers market.

The girls prepare the lemonade, take customer orders, mix the flavors and count back change on their own with mom just watching nearby. “Blue raspberry is really popular,” Kyndal said. Their other flavors are strawberry, raspberry, cherry.

A cup of lemonade is $1 with an added 50 cents for flavor. With the temperatures in the mid-90s Tuesday, their booth stayed busy, even attracting the business of Afton Police Chief Jake McGuire and Union County Deputy Dillon Hightshoe.