EAU CLAIRE — Three Eau Claire children are taking the phrase “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade” literally and using that mindset to raise money for cancer research benefitting Chippewa Valley residents and others across Wisconsin fighting against cancer.
The Erickson siblings, James, 11, Aubrey, 9, and Isla, 6, the children of Eau Claire residents Mike and Andrea Erickson, will be collecting donations for lemonade at the fourth annual Garding Against Cancer Golf Outing on Friday afternoon at Hickory Hills Golf Course, E4080 Hickory Road, south of Eau Claire. Proceeds from the trio’s lemonade fundraising that day will go to the Carbone Cancer Research and Treatment Center in Madison.
The event is organized by longtime Indianhead Special Olympics director and co-founder of the Buckshot Run Bob Lesniewski and his wife, Janet, in conjunction with the Garding Against Cancer Foundation. The foundation was established by University of Wisconsin men’s basketball coach Greg Gard, whose father, Glen, died of cancer in 2015.
“We just want to help people who are fighting cancer,” James said. “That’s why we want to do this, to help people.”
The siblings came up with the idea to sell lemonade for a good cause last summer after hearing about the cancer research fundraising event Lesniewski was putting on from Andrea, a physician assistant with OakLeaf Clinics-Pine Grove Family Medicine. Like many people, the Ericksons have a personal connection to cancer: Andrea’s sister was diagnosed with breast cancer. Motivated by a desire to do their part to help, the kids set up a lemonade stand outside their west side Eau Claire home one day last June with the aim of donating to Lesniewski’s event.
Mike and Andrea told friends and family members about the fundraiser and promoted it on social media. As an incentive, they told their kids they would match whatever the trio raised that day.
The siblings gave out glass after glass of lemonade. They received donation after donation. At afternoon’s end they had raised a surprising $425.50.
“So we kept our word and matched them,” Mike chuckled. “We never thought they would raise that kind of money. It was great to see that kind of response, how giving people were.”
When Lesniewski received the $851 check from the Ericksons shortly before last year’s Garding Against Cancer golf outing, he was “shocked” and appreciative of their effort. He affectionately dubbed the siblings “The Lemonade Kids.”
This year, rather than give out lemonade at their home, the Erickson kids will be at Garding Against Cancer. The public is invited to stop by Hickory Hills Golf Course to buy lemonade and donate to cancer research.
“To see what these kids are doing is inspiring,” Lesniewski said. “Almost all of us have been touched by cancer in some way, and the Lemonade Kids are doing something to help. We need people to come out here and raise money so that we can develop better vaccines and better treatments for a better quality of life for people with cancer and their families. That’s why we’re doing this.”
That effort and many others on behalf of the annual golf outing he organizes have special meaning to Lesniewski. Four years ago the energetic Lesniewski, who has run multiple marathons, was diagnosed with cancer. He lives with his cancer and takes medications to treat it that were not available a decade ago.
“I’m alive today because of medical advancements in treating cancer,” Lesniewski said. “I decided I needed to do what I can to raise money for more cancer research to find treatments to help people live longer, better lives.”
The Erickson siblings said their goal is to raise $1,000 through lemonade sales and donations at Friday’s event. That money would be turned into $4,000 because three other donors have pledged to match the sibling’s fundraising amount. The public is invited to match that total as well.
The Lemonade Kids’ giving spirits have already benefited this year’s fundraising event. After learning about the siblings selling lemonade for good, in April 20 Scheels All Sports employees in Eau Claire donated $500 apiece, or $10,000 total, toward this year’s Garding Against Cancer Golf Outing fundraiser.
In addition to supporting The Lemonade Kids, people stopping at the golf outing can purchase tickets for raffle baskets and can make purchases at a silent auction. They also will have the opportunity to talk with Joe Gribowski, the owner of Cabin Coffee Co. in Altoona, who will be at the event. Gribowksi was an offensive lineman for the Wisconsin Badgers football team during the late 1990s for legendary Badgers coach Barry Alvarez. Gribowski played in the Rose Bowl and blocked for Heisman Trophy-winning running back Ron Dayne.
As he checked out the location on a recent evening at Hickory Hills where The Lemonade Kids will be Friday, Mike, a physical therapist at Northwoods Therapy Associates, reflected on the initial lemonade fundraiser last summer and how that effort continues to grow. He said his family is inspired by Lesniewski’s work to use his cancer diagnosis as a way to help others, and they want to do whatever they can to assist him and that cause.
“The life goals that my kids are learning and the opportunity to do good for others, it makes us feel really proud of them,” Mike said. “We are grateful just to be a part of this.”
So are his children. They said they’ve been waiting all year to collect donations for lemonade at this year’s golf outing and converse with people giving money to their cause.
“We’re very hopeful that we will be able to raise more money this year,” James said. “We want to help as many people as we can.”
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