Lemonade made with love

Keylee’s Lemonade Stand for Cancer raises more than $3,000 for the kids of St. Jude.

When 8-year-old Keylee Landes asked permission to operate a lemonade stand this past summer, her mom approved on one condition: the money she earned would be donated to a cause.

Keylee’s Lemonade Stand for Cancer was set up on a near-100-degree day in July in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Roughly five hours later, Keylee had raised more than $3,200 for St. Jude. Keylee upped that total by another $200 after she was invited to bring her lemonade stand to the St. Jude Barrel Jam in Guthrie, Oklahoma in October.

Keylee chose St. Jude as her charity after seeing St. Jude commercials on television and talking to her mom about the lifesaving mission of St. Jude. “I’ve been inspired by how St. Jude helps little kids, and how parents don’t have to pay anything,” Keylee said. “I feel like that is the right thing to do.”

Keylee’s desire to help children with cancer began when she was 6, and met a young cancer patient while on a trip to Disney World.

“I hope that everyone with cancer knows that people love them, and knows that they are getting help,” Keylee said. “I pray for them a lot that we’ll hopefully find a cure for cancer.”

Keylee plans to operate her lemonade stand again next summer to raise money for St. Jude, and hopes to bring it to more events in Oklahoma.