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These four-year-olds set up a lemonade stand for Orlando victims

These four-year-olds set up a lemonade stand for Orlando victims

Now we feel bad about squandering our fourth year burying action figures in the sand.

An enterprising, cinematically good-hearted clique of children — including two four-year-old boys — busily sold cups of lemonade to dehydrated attendees of The New York Pride parade last weekend.

Far from pocketing the money for a Jedi Master Lightsaber, they donated every cent to help the victims of Orlando.

Sam Bernstein and Finn Madden (both 4) and their pal Dean Haines (3) erected the stand under the proud gaze of mom Stephanie Bernstein.

“The boys loved being responsible for the ‘store,’” she tells Babble, “and took greater pride in knowing they were doing something to help others.”

Being surrounded by rainbows and cookies didn’t hurt, either.

“I told Sam that we were going to have a chance to do many special things all at once.

“We were going to celebrate life and celebrate love by sharing some of the things that make us happiest. And we were going to try and make some money to help people who were no longer able to do this because of a terrible tragedy in Orlando.”

At a mere $1 for lemonade and cookie, the business-savvy children weren’t out to break the bank, either. Yet every item on sale sold out, raising a handsome $137. Thanks to donations, that number went up to $250.

That money has now been donated to this Orlando support fund, which has already raised $6 million for families of the victims and clubgoers who were wounded in the attack.

“We live in Greenwich Village,” said Michelle Madden, “where we are incredibly fortunate to have so many diverse people and lifestyles celebrated all around us.”

“Prejudice is learned — it is not innate. If every 4-year-old today was taught tolerance, think of the world we could look forward to!”

Talking to Buzzfeed, Stephanie Bernstein said: “For us, gay rights are such a big thing, but when I was explaining it to my 4-year-old he just said, ‘Of course you should marry whoever you want.’ I love that our children are living in a time when gay rights are just normal.”

 

 

 

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