Boys fundraise for fallen Officer Derbin’s family with lemonade stand
BROOKLYN, Ohio (WJW) – Two young boys are changing lives with their extra special lemonade stand.
It’s called Gideon and Josiah’s Lemonade Stand for Heroes and is devoted to help and serve first responders.
“I’m dedicated to what I do,” said Gideon Trank, who will turn 12 in a couple weeks.
He and his 10-year-old brother Josiah started the stand on Vandalia Avenue in Brooklyn when they were just six and four.
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They had heard of a K-9 with cancer that needed expensive medications and wanted to help out the officer.
That same week, Cleveland Officer Vu Nguyen passed away from heatstroke.
“It really started from there,” said Machelle Trank, the boy’s mother.
With help from the law enforcement support organization Sea of Blue, the kids held a massive two-day lemonade stand that raised thousands of dollars for the officer’s family.
Since then, the boys have continued to offer a number of canned beverages and snacks for a dollar or less and then donated all of the funds to first responders who are seriously sick and the families of the fallen.
“It is pretty cool,” said Josiah.
“Helping out our first responders,” added Gideon.
Just this week, they donated $400 to loved ones of slain Euclid Officer Jacob Derbin.
On Thursday, the boys received a special visit from two regular customers who wanted to thank them personally for their hard work — Brooklyn Mayor Ron Van Kirk and Police Chief Scott Mielke.
“Both boys were so tiny when they started doing this,” said Chief Mielke. “It restores faith not only in our officers, but their families that they know there are a lot of good people out there.”
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“It’s really encouraging to the men and women who serve to see the next generation is appreciative of everything they do,” said Mayor Van Kirk.
The boys’ parents are also very proud.
Avery Trank says he and his wife were in full support of the boys and their stand from the start because they believed in its purpose and wanted their children to be humble and grateful.
“Our hope is that this kind of spreads the word out to everybody that there are a lot of good officers, firefighters as well,” said Trank.
At the stand, all first responders get a free beverage.
The icy cold drinks come in cans and there are multiple flavors from lemonade to red, white and blue bomb pop flavor.
“I think it’s one of the sweetest things ever, honestly,” said neighbor Cam Lagotte. “Love that they’re giving back.”
The boys plan to continue giving back and perhaps someday becoming first responders themselves.
“They make us feel safe,” said Gideon. “They feel like family to us.”
To see when the Gideon and Josiah Lemonade Stand for Heroes will be back open for business, checkout their Facebook page.
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