5-Year-Old Boy Uses Lemonade Stand to Raise Money for Firefighter Who Was Shot at Applebee’s
A 5-year-old boy from Missouri raised more than $1,000 when he opened a lemonade stand with his sister to benefit a volunteer firefighter injured in a shooting.
According to KMOV, Cooper Wallweber organized the stand to help 20-year-old Kinloch firefighter Arlydia Bufford, who remains the hospital following a triple shooting at an Applebee's restaurant on Monday.
"She got shot really bad and was in the hospital," the young boy told the news station.
Cooper was helped by his older sister, Olivia, who thought the two might only be outside for a couple of hours. But they were soon flooded with people trying to help.
"It was like we were a drive-thru service," Olivia told KMOV. "It was non-stop."
Many of the lemonade stand's customers were Bufford's fellow first responders, Olivia added.
"We had six officers come out, two ambulances, two fire trucks, another truck as we were leaving," she told the station.
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Another person donated $100 without taking a sip of lemonade just because they just wanted to help.
“I broke down and cried,” Olivia said of the heartwarming moment. “I didn’t know how to feel. I was just stunned. I expected maybe $100 to $200, and we ended up with over $1,000.”
In all, the siblings raised $1,132 for Bufford, and they plan to give the funds to her mother soon.
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According to KTVI, Bufford is expected to have an arduous path toward her recovery following the shooting. The gunman was allegedly targeting two women at a different table at the Applebee's when Bufford was shot.
"She’s recovering well. She is listed in critical but stable condition," Kinloch Fire Chief Kevin Stewart told the station. "She underwent a procedure last night, and the procedure went well."
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"[But she] can’t work," Stewart told KTVI. "No telling how long the recovery will be, she will have expenses and medical bills."
A GoFundMe was set up to help Bufford's family and has raised just under $19,000.
