Lemonade stand more ambitious than most

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers LEMONADE ANYONE?- Twins Jeremy, far left, and Jordan Dake, far right, 11, Lindero Canyon Middle School sixth-grade students, work with their grandfather, Sy Weiss, who came out from Norfolk, Va., and their mom Lori, to construct a lemonade stand for summer fundraising efforts. The twins plan to donate 100 percent of their profits to the Starlight Starbright Foundation to help construct a "fun center" for a hospital's children's wing. Lemonade stands are a common sight throughout the Conejo Valley on a warm summer day, but one stand this weekend will be particularly hard to miss.

The Dake family of Agoura Hills built a large, brightly painted stand that they will man from 12:30 to 4 p.m. Sat., July 5 and 1 to 5 p.m. Sun., July 6, as well as throughout the summer, to raise funds for the Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation. The family wants to raise $4,250 to purchase a mobile entertainment unit for Ventura Hospital's pediatric ward, which needs two units. One hundred percent of the stand's proceeds will be donated.

The 7-foot plywood stand in red, yellow, blue and white, will be set up on the corner of Lindero Canyon Road and Foxfield Drive. Lori Dake, her husband, Jeffrey, and their 11yearold twins Jeremy and Jordan will sell traditional lemonade, soda, water and popcorn, and brownies and cookies freshly baked by the family.

Lori Dake's retired father, Sy Weiss, flew out from Virginia to help the boys design and build the stand. She described her 80yearold father as a "handy, creative guy." Using supplies donated by Home Depot in Newbury Park, the Dakes created the booth, which includes a cloud at the top where the project's name is painted: "JnJ's Snack Stand." The Dakes' neighbor, Dan Friedman, an Agoura High School senior, and the family's handyman, Steve Whorf, and electrician, Alan Almar, also helped out.

"My father spent a great deal of time designing and preparing everything needed to put all of this together," said Lori Dake, whose father returned to Virginia last week. "He thought he would like to have the boys remember him later on when he is gone by coming here and actually building this stand together."

She also commended her sons for their hard work on the project and recognized their leadership skills, which she said will serve them well when they are behind the lemonade stand.

"My son, Jeremy, was president of White Oak Elementary School and was on the student council three years. Jordan's the best salesman you ever saw. The kid is like a Bill Gates," Lori Dake said.

The money the boys intend to raise will purchase an entertainment unit on a cart that can be wheeled up to a child's bed or anywhere in the hospital. Each unit includes a Nintendo Wii, 22 pre-loaded games, a Sharp AQUOS flat screen TV and a DVD player.

"This is a very ambitious project. There has been nothing on this scale, so we're delighted," said Starlight Foundation CEO Paula Van Ness, who credited the Dake boys with their involvement. "It's very empowering. It gives them a taste of being entrepreneurs, something to experience in terms of the spirit of generosity."

Since the entertainment units began being installed at hospitals in 1992, more than 5,000 have been funded in 1,000 hospitals nationwide. The Starlight Starbright Foundation is a national group with a Los Angeles office that provides support to ill children and their families in the United States and Canada.

For more information and a schedule of when the lemonade stand will be in operation, visit www.firstgiving.com/ JnJslemonade.