Alex's Lemonade Days

If you visited Valle Jewelers today, you probably met Megan Williams, mother of Brady, 9, who was diagnosed with neuroblastoma at 20 months.

The Williams family of Oakfield is one of the Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation families around the nation that raises money to help fight pediatric cancer. The family has raised more than $30,000 for the foundation, mostly through the lemonade stand they set up every year at Oakfield's Labor Days festival.

Today, as they did last year, Valle's donated 10 percent of all sales to the foundation. 

Plus you got a free cup of lemonade from Megan.

The foundation today had a goal of raising $1 million nationally, through the participation of 36 families, representing the 36 children diagnosed every day with cancer.

Press release:

Oakfield resident and Childhood Cancer Hero, Brady Williams and his family, have been selected as Lemonade Days Hero Reps!

Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation selected 36 families across the country as ambassadors for their national fundraiser in June. Each family symbolically represents the 36 children diagnosed with cancer daily in the United States. 

Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF), a nonprofit dedicated to finding cures for all kids with cancer, has selected 36 families across the country to take a “stand” against childhood cancer as Lemonade Day Hero Reps during Alex’s Lemonade Days, June 10-12.

The 36 Lemonade Days Hero Reps symbolically represent the 36 children diagnosed with cancer every day in the United States. Each family has been personally impacted by childhood cancer and will spread awareness about the ongoing childhood cancer fight by sharing their personal journeys.

These 36 families show that childhood cancer occurs regularly, randomly and spares no ethnic group; socioeconomic class; or geographic region. As a part of their Lemonade Days Hero Family duties, the families will each hold a lemonade stand during Alex’s Lemonade Days, spread awareness of their initiatives to their communities and enlist community members to host their own stands.

Meet the Williams Family

“Brady is the best brother in the world,” says his brother, Eli.

Brady Williams, diagnosed with neuroblastoma in 2009, is one in a set of triplets: Cara and Eli, ages 9. They also have a younger sister, Allison, age 7. The Williams family wants others to know that the impact of childhood cancer does not end when treatment ends. But Brady is optimistic saying, “Someday I will help make the world a better place!”

Alex’s Lemonade Days commemorates 8-year-old Alexandra “Alex” Scott’s challenge to help her raise $1 million for childhood cancer cures, one cup of lemonade at a time. With help from volunteers across the country, Alex reached her million dollar goal before losing her life to cancer in August 2004.

“Just like the Williams Family, our family knows firsthand just how personal the fight against childhood cancer is,” said Liz Scott, co-executive director of ALSF and Alex’s mom. “Our daughter would be honored to know that these 36 families will continue her legacy by literally taking a stand against childhood cancer and inspiring those in their community to come together toward finding cures.”

Now every year, volunteers are invited to host lemonade stands over the course of these three days in June to continue Alex’s mission and bring renewed attention to the fight against childhood cancer. Since 2004, more than 22,000 Lemonade Days stands have been held nationally, raising over $12 million. This year, the Foundation hopes to reach the 25,000th Lemonade Days stand.

Participants are encouraged to show support through social media utilizing #LemonadeDays on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and more.

For more information on Alex’s Lemonade Days and to sign up to host a lemonade stand visit AlexsLemonadeDays.org.

***UPDATE JUNE 2: The Williams’ lemonade stand is from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, June 10, at Valle Jewelers, 21 Jackson St., Batavia.