7-Year-Old Girl With Special Needs Created A Lemonade Stand So She Can Help Raise Money For An Inclusive Playground
Brunswick, Ohio. 7-year-old Gwen Ciccozzi suffered from a stroke prior to her mom giving birth to her, leaving her with hemiplegic cerebral palsy.
Gwen loves being able to play on a playground just like other children her age, but the problem is it’s difficult for her to navigate them.
When Gwen decided to create her own lemonade stand because she thought it would be an enjoyable weekend activity, her mom Rebecca never thought that it would be a success, but it quickly grew.
“Honestly, it wasn’t the original plan to donate,” Rebecca wrote on a Facebook page called Gwennie Penny’s Lemonade.
“I had found a bag of lemons in the fridge that needed to get used up, so I suggested we make some lemonade and Gwen suggested the lemonade stand.”
Initially, Rebecca told Gwen no. But then she thought about it more and went out to get some things Gwen would need to launch her lemonade stand.
She helped Gwen find a great lemonade recipe, she created the actual stand for her, and she even made Gwen a uniform.
Rebecca figured if they only priced their lemonade at 50 cents per cup, it wasn’t going to end in profit, but it was going to end in a good time.
Facebook; pictured above Gwen smiles next to her lemonade stand
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“And that would have been okay,” Rebecca continued. “But, in the end, it just wasn’t the case.”
With the support of neighbors, loved ones, and Brunswick locals, Gwen started raking in the money.
Gwen knew she wanted to donate the money she made to a great cause instead of keeping it all for herself.
“Without hesitation, she decided to give half of her earnings to the building of a new inclusive playground right here in our community,” Rebecca explained.
“Typical playgrounds can be hard for a girl like Gwen who has hemiplegic cerebral palsy, but inclusive playgrounds help her find joy and success more easily. We can’t wait to have one so close to home!”
The inclusive playground Rebecca is talking about is a project that the Brunswick City Schools and City of Brunswick are both working to create, but they are seeking donations to help make this playground the best it can be for local children.
On the corner of Dennis and Saxon in Brunswick is where Gwen’s lemonade stand sits if you’re local and want to stop by to support her wonderful cause.
If you aren’t local and would still like to donate to help get the inclusive playground built, you can do that here.
You can also follow Gwen’s lemonade stand page, Gwennie Penny’s Lemonade, here!
More About:Human Interest