A sweet cause: 7-year-old sets up lemonade stand honouring Glace Bay, N.S. teen who died of cancer
A little girl in Glace Bay, N.S. set up a lemonade stand Sunday for a really sweet cause.
The proceeds are going to the 'Leigh-Anne's Legacy' movement in memory of a Cape Breton teen who died of cancer.
Leigh-Anne Cox was a spunky and courageous Glace Bay teen who lost her battle with cancer in June of last year. She was just 14-years-old.
Cox inspired her community while fighting the disease and after she passed away, her family created the 'Bee Kind' Leigh-Anne's Legacy movement asking people to perform acts of kindness in her memory.
On Sunday, seven-year-old Jersey Matheson set up a lemonade stand that was built using her own birthday money.
Jersey's mother said her daughter didn't know Leigh-Anne personally, though, she has fundraised in the past and wanted to contribute again this time around.
"Most of the money is going to the SPCA, and however much we make, we'll find another cause close to Leigh-Anne's heart," says Danielle Matheson.
"A few years ago, Jersey started at Christmas time with what are called Jersey's Christmas cups, and she delivers them just to make people smile at Christmas time. We just thought we thought we would incorporate Leigh-Anne in there, just because everyone knows her in her community, and we just wanted to keep spreading her name."
More than a dozen of Leigh-Anne's family and close friends were on hand today to grab a drink and show their appreciation.
"Jersey is an awesome spearheader for us, we're very proud of her…," said family friend Tammy Baxter.
"It just warms our hearts so much to see a little girl that Leigh-Anne was able to touch at such a young age. So if this little girl can do such an act of kindness, each one of us can do something wonderful."
The parking lot at Ultramar on Sterling Road was full all day with community members from all walks of life wetting their whistles, and opening their wallets.
"From the police officers showing up today to the fire department to just all of the friends, family, and strangers that stopped by - just to support," said Baxter.
Along with two hours spent serving people with a smile today, Jersey's mom says her daughter is learning life lessons beyond her years.
"Just be kind. You never know what somebody's going through. The littlest, simplest thing can bring a smile to somebody's face, and that's what she's out to do," said Matheson.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
Fallen crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison
Crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison for a massive fraud that unravelled with the collapse of FTX, once one of the world's most popular platforms for exchanging digital currency.
A dog and a bird formed an unlikely friendship. Their separation has infuriated followers
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.