*Picture left to right: Lexie Barrowman, Kylie Barrowman, Amelia Huckstadt
By Jessica Peterson
Last Saturday three of St. Joe’s fifth graders had a surprisingly successful lemonade stand out on the corner of Rosewood Drive.
Amelia Huckstadt, 10, and sisters Lexie and Kylie Barrowman, who are both 11, found community members coming out multiple times for one of their cups of 50 cent lemonade, which was mixed up with the help of Huckstadt’s dad.
“This (was) because we were getting a little bored. It was really warm outside and we thought that people might want to cool off a little bit since it was really hot that day,” Huckstadt said.
The girls have done lemonade stands in the past but never as a business team of three before. Working together proved to be helpful since a group of high schoolers ended up recruiting their friends to support the local entrepreneurs’ sales multiple times throughout the day.
“Each time they came out of their car they were like laughing and each time they would go to leave they would tell us ‘we’re gonna be back with another car,’” K. Barrowman said.
There was a comical effect to the girls when it came to serving the serial lemonade drinkers.
“It was kind of funny. (They) just kept bringing more people,” L. Barrowman said.
But April Barrowman, mother of two-thirds of the lemonade sellers, commented on how the support of local teens helped show the true colors of the St. Joe community.
“I think the high schooler(s) show how great St. Joe is with supporting the people in our community, and how good we all are at supporting each other. By (them) bringing more friends back, I just thought that was a really great thing. Even to show the girls how to support other people,” A. Barrowman said.
Niki Huckstadt, mother of Amelia, agreed with A. Barrowman’s sentiments.
“(There’s) so many other things teenagers could be doing and they were choosing to help out some of our fine young people,” N. Huckstadt said.
By the end of the day the girls each took home $17 a piece. The two sisters plan to save up for cell phones which, according to L. Barrowman, can be, “pretty expensive sometimes.”
But for A. Huckstadt she will be using the money earned to go for her savings towards a Blue Yeti microphone.
“I’ve been saving up for something special…I’ve been wanting to get one of those (Blue Yeti microphones) …for ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) which is supposed to be relaxing and stuff because it helps me during homework,” A. Huckstadt said.
When the girls grow up they say their desired jobs range from being a veterinarian for K. Barrowman to teaching the third or fifth grade for A. Huckstadt and L. Barrowman. But for now, they plan to continue spreading positivity when they see the opportunity.
“I think we should spread kindness around the world like they did. Just kind of keep it peaceful,” A. Huckstadt said.
Community members should be on the lookout for more lemonade stands especially with the warmer weather that spring and summer will bring. Hopefully not only will there be an outpouring of a refreshing drink, but of community values and support as well.
