The "Chill Out for Charity Lemonade Stand" Story

Nelson Mandela's life has inspired many people all over the world to care about improving the lives of others. Last summer, after watching the 90th birthday concert in his honour on television, and watching Nelson Mandela speak, this great man, also inspired Ruby and Jada Eisenbud. The Eisenbud family was in the process of moving from New Jersey to their new Canadian home in Toronto. When they found The Nelson Mandela Children's Fund-Canada offices close by, they made a plan to celebrate and support the work of Nelson Mandela themselves.

The girls had to travel back to New Jersey one more time before the big move. So while their mom and dad got ready for the moving van, they set up a "Chill Out for Charity" lemonade stand on the street corner in front of their home - a little lemonade stand with the goal of making a big difference for children in South Africa. Ruby, 9 and Jada, 7, sold lemonade, danced, and sang on the corner to attract customers. People were very generous for such a worthy cause. In September 2008, the two girls from New Jersey moved to Canada and delivered the proceeds of a summer's work. Since then, the girls have continued to host lemonade stands and collect donations to raise awareness and support. Now Ruby and Jada hope to inspire kids and families across Canada to host their own "Chill Out for Charity" virtual or neighbourhood lemonade stand. They hope to show Nelson Mandela, and the world once again, that Canadian children, their family and friends, are a powerful force in caring for the children of South Africa.

For all the adults helping and supporting, Ruby and Jada's mom offers this: "Teaching children to care for an extended world around them is easy when you make it fun. Through these kinds of efforts, we all can feel more hopeful knowing that the next generation is starting their vision for a better world at a very young age."