A simple lemonade stand run by 9-year-old Gabby Baker has helped Open Bible Church in Mansfield raise more than half of the funds needed to pay their $1,000 insurance deductible.
After Open Bible Church was vandalized on June 26 causing more than $50,000 in damage, Gabby told her parents that she would like to set up a lemonade stand to help her church pay off the deductible.
“We only have a small church and it would be hard for them to raise the money,” said Gabby.
Over the course of two days in July, including her ninth birthday on July 8, Gabby sold 80 cups of lemonade. Her sales combined with her own birthday money and allowance totaled $120 by the end of the weekend, which she donated to Pastor John Freeman.
“I was very happy,” said Freeman. “She not only worked at the lemonade stand, she gave up birthday money. I was most impressed and extremely happy and I thought wow, I wish all the kids could do something like that. She’s a very nice young lady.”
The news of Gabby’s generosity spread throughout the church community, and two businessmen wishing to remain anonymous came forward to match Gabby’s funds for a total of $360. Gabby’s lemonade stand influenced a neighbor of the church who wrote a check for $500. Also contributing was a young boy from Lucas who donated $9 raised from his own lemonade stand.
Gabby, a fourth-grader who loves reading and “Finding Nemo,” said she was happy to help her church because of everything they have done to help her learn about Jesus. Her mother, Stephanie Baker, said she is enormously proud of Gabby’s selflessness.
“We’re really proud of her that she has taken what she has learned from the church and put it into action,” said Baker. “You hear so much negative about kids these days, and here’s an example of taking what she’s learned and making it something positive.”
