The fundraising committee of the third annual Good Lemonade Day is proud to announce that an incredible $24,197.53 was raised at the provincial-wide event held on June 8. The event was created as a way for children to get involved in philanthropy in a fun and rewarding way, and this year more than 60 stands were held in 18 communities, including Cranbrook and Fernie.

The recipient of this year’s donations is JoeAnna’s House, a home for families with a loved one at the Kelowna General Hospital.

In addition to Prestige Hotels and Resorts hosting a lemonade stand and special events at each of their properties, there were nearly 50 B.C. families that hosted a lemonade stand in their neighborhoods. While the numbers of participating families has stayed roughly the same over the last three years, this 2024 event raised significantly more money than the previous two years, which each saw $17,500 raised.

Amy Nunn, one of the volunteer organizers from Prestige Hotels and Resorts, says they’re thrilled with how well this year’s event went. “We’d set a goal of hitting $20,000 this year so we are blown away that we far exceeded that goal! It’s really incredible and shows that even something as simple as a lemonade stand can really bring people together and have an amazing outcome.”

Each lemonade stand was given a starter pack of supplies including two exclusive t-shirts, lemonade mix, signage and balloons.

Many of the stands went the extra mile by also selling treats in an effort to boost their donations, and really took their creativity to the next level with added décor and signage. Many of the family-run stands raised several hundred dollars in just a few short hours, with some of them raising more than $1,000!

Most stands were located in the Kelowna area, however, there were also family stands in Fernie, Cranbrook, Trail, Comox, Prince George, Genelle, Vernon, Coldstream, and Salmon Arm.

The event would not have happened without key partners who offered financial support so 100% of the donations went to the cause. The partners at Laing Service and Maintenance came on board for the third year as the event’s Presenting Sponsor, and Prestige Hotels and Resorts was instrumental in helping organize the event. JoeAnna’s House is named after the Prestige founders Josef and Anna Huber.

JoeAnna’s House features 20 guestrooms, a family kitchen and common area, kids’ play area and work out facility. It is just steps away from Kelowna General Hospital, providing accommodations for hundreds of out-of-town B.C. families with loved ones receiving care who need assistance off-setting travel and medical expenses.

Lead image: The Tse Nunn Family stand in Fernie.  Photo submitted

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