'Tired of losing,' 4-year-old Florida State fan sells lemonade to fund Willie Taggart's buyout
A Florida State booster and his 4-year-old son spent their Sunday working together on a project. You could even say it was a school project.
Grayton Grant set up a “Free Willie” lemonade stand in Tallahassee to help pay Seminoles coach Willie Taggart’s $17 million buyout after FSU’s disastrous loss to No. 25 Virginia.
His father, FSU graduate and Platinum Chief level donor Daniel Grant, matched the total and sent off the check to close out a teachable lesson that may have gone too far.
Grayton set up shop with a sign signaling all proceeds would go toward buying out the head coach’s contract — which is a lot of lemonade, even at his prices. Per the Tallahassee Democrat, he charged $20 per cup in the 90-degree heat.
He raised $241 thanks to a $100 donation by one customer, per the Democrat.
The “Free Willie” lemonade stand raised $241 in just under three hours. https://t.co/o7lder6ttO
— Tallahassee Democrat (@TDOnline) September 15, 2019
Daniel Grant, who donates between $13,000 and $24,999 a year to FSU, matched his earnings. They sent a $482 check to the Seminole Boosters along with a letter from Grayton.
It explained that “I am tired of losing football games and being made fun of at school for being a Seminole fan. At four, I am already starting to gravitate towards the color orange. You don’t want that for an innocent kid like me….”
The letter closed with “I hope this helps other Noles fan (sic) have hope that we can once again have a football team and program to be proud of!”
Grayton’s signature, though illegible, was made with an orange marker.
Taggart is in the second season of a six-year contract that pays $30 million. In 2018, the Seminoles missed a bowl game for the first time in 36 years following a 5-7 record. It hasn’t gone much better this year. They’re 1-2 and looked dysfunctional in Saturday’s loss.
The lemonade stand was apparently a teachable moment. Daniel Grant told the Democrat he was complaining throughout the game. He talked to Grayson about how a person can’t complain and “not try to pitch in and help fix it.”
His wife, Jamie, maybe didn’t quite have this in mind.
"A simple lesson of not being a complainer sure escalated quickly,” she said.
More from Yahoo Sports:
