Kool way to cool off
Shannon LeClair – Times Reporter
Lemonade stands are a favourite way for kids to make spending money in the summer, but for 10-year-old Tanya Shpyth, the money isn’t for her.
Tanya plans to run a Kool-Aid stand all summer in an effort to raise money for her school, Brentwood Elementary.
“Me and my friends were just sitting around talking one day at recess and we thought because of budget cutbacks we might just start a Kool-Aid stand and we had all these other cool, weird ideas that can help raise money for our school,” said Tanya.
She is the first out of her friends to have started on one of the ideas they had tossed around, but has no doubt the others will start their own booths or start something else.
She has only been out once so far this year, but summer is just beginning. Her 7-year-old brother Travis helps her set everything up and is working with her. Even Taylor, Tanya’s older sister, helps out a little, giving the younger ones a chance to go take a break and cool off.
All of he public school divisions have suffered huge cutbacks, and Tanya’s mother, Tammy has written letters to the MLA and other people involved in the cutbacks.
“When Tanya came up with this idea, I thought you know what, sometimes little voices are heard the loudest,” said Tammy.
“I thought, here’s a little girl who’s willing to spend her summer, what she can, raising money for her school and I thought maybe this will get attention.”
Tanya sits in front of her house for hours determined to sell as much Kool-Aid as she can before school starts again in the fall.
“She plans to do it all summer, and she will. She’s motivated like that,” said Tammy.
“I’m really happy that I’m doing something for my school,” said Tanya.
She will have her Kool-Aid stand set up on the weekends, and as much as possible during the summer.
There are signs up saying the money is being raised for Brentwood school. You can find Tanya and her brother at 72 Cambria Rd.