🍋Ava & Zeek’s Lemonade Stand 🍋

By Cassandra Lacroix, AMFT, ATR-P

Ava and Zeek’s lemonade stand brought community together with every cup poured. This stand brightened the unit and gave patients, families, and staff a sweet dose of fun.

Here’s how it worked: guests earned a “Lemon Buck,” by doing a silly dance, telling a joke, or sharing a special talent. Once they completed their task, they traded their Lemon Buck in for a tasty reward: a cup of refreshing pink or classic lemonade, or even a slice of handmade pizza! (ingredients; construction paper, glue, markers). Ava and Zeek proudly ran their stand. Clinicians, patients, and staff all joined in the fun, performing silly dances or telling jokes for the kids.

Ava and Zeek have been at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital for an average of 12 months, they wanted to create this stand because it was something like their peers have done outside the hospital, like selling food to neighbors and friends… bringing the whole community together.

With Every dance, joke, and shared talent that paid for Ava and Zeek’s treats, these entrepreneurs learned how to run a business and even sneak in a little math as they counted up their treats sold.

Also, they sold out! :)