Sisters Create 'Lemonaid' Stand To Support Hamptons Community Outreach

Sisters Fiona and Maeave Scissons began asking their parents if they could have a lemonade stand more than a year ago.

Like many children their age, Fiona, 8, and Maeave, 6, were eager to take part in a classic summertime tradition, to experience the thrill of having friends and strangers pay you for a product you make at home, and ending the day with a box full of cash and coins.

This summer, their parents, Michael Scissons and Ashley Howe, made good on their promise to help them make the stand. But instead of keeping the money for themselves, the elementary-aged Sag Harbor residents decided they would donate the proceeds to a good cause.

Over the course of three days, and setting up at various locations on Main Street in Sag Harbor, “Fiona and Maeave’s Lemonaid Stand” raised just over $3,000 for Hamptons Community Outreach, a local nonprofit run by Marit Molin that provides a wide range of support for local families in need across the East End.

The Scissons sisters met Molin after participating in a holiday food drive for HCO last year, and have attended the art camp that the organization runs.

The lemonade stand was a success, thanks to a winning combination of parental support and the enthusiasm of Fiona and Maeave.

Howe joked that once the family committed to doing the lemonade stand, her husband was incapable of keeping it too basic.

“He’s an entrepreneur, so he does things large scale,” she said with a laugh.

Fiona and Maeave worked with their father on constructing a large wooden stand that went around the serving table, even using a sander and power drill under dad’s supervision. They painted the stand white, and adorned it with an eye-catching logo — a dark pink humpback whale, with its tail encircled around a bright yellow lemon slice.

The girls had sketched out a rough idea for the logo, which was turned into a computer image and then placed not only on the stand, but made into stickers, which were placed on the compostable cups in which they served the “lemonaid” (with bamboo straws).

Then there was the lemonade itself.

On the first day they were open for business, Fiona and Maeave were so excited, their parents said, that they eagerly hopped out of bed at 6 a.m. to help run hundreds of lemons through an electric juicer that filtered out the seeds and pulp. Michael Scissons estimated they went through about 300 lemons each day they had the stand open.

Lots of ice, nearly 50 gallons of filtered water, the lemon juice, and liquid cane sugar were added to a big thermos container and set up at the stand, where the sisters spent four hours in front of the Wharf Shop the last two Saturdays and at Ryland on Sunday.

In addition to learning some basic carpentry and culinary skills, the sisters also got a mini crash course in running a small business.

“They learned about buying supplies, creating a logo, creating different ads, pricing strategy,” their father said.

“And we got to learn how to make lemonade,” Fiona chimed in.

After strategizing with their dad, the girls decided to go with a priceless “pay what you can” model, and agreed to give people change if they asked for it. They also accepted payment by Venmo.

They addressed each customer with an important phrase to make the intent of their stand clear: “Would you like some lemonade for charity?”

Maeave played a particularly important role when it came to marketing, serving as the unofficial mascot by dressing up in a lemon costume, dancing, and enticing passersby to stop and make a purchase.

Of course, the sisters had to sample some of the product themselves throughout the hours they spent in town on a hot summer day.

On a phone call with Molin, who was traveling at the time the stand was operating, they worked together on tallying up the Venmo purchases. But the best part, the sisters agreed, was counting the cold, hard cash.

“It’s really fun counting it when you’re done,” Fiona said with a smile, as her younger sister bounced up and down in agreement.

Fiona eagerly shared that they’d collected a few $100 bills on one day, but an even bigger thrill, she said, was getting a rare $2 bill from one customer.

Fiona and Maeave learned a lot throughout every stage of the process and had fun at the same time, but the biggest reward for the family is knowing that the money will be put to good use in the community. The girls both spoke about how they knew their hard-earned money would be used by HCO to help local families afford shoes and clothing, perhaps help stock food pantries or offer housing support to those in need.

Molin called Fiona and Maeave “stars,” and expressed her gratitude for what their family did for the organization.

“Seeing these kids being creative and working hard to help others is particularly gratifying,” she said. “When children are instilled with the idea of charity and philanthropy at such an early age, it becomes second nature for them. When their friends see the great work that they’re doing, it becomes infectious, and they also want to help others. These girls have been extraordinary fundraisers. When adults see the sincerity and determination to help exhibited by children, they feel compelled to help, too.”

The girls’ parents said they planned to keep the stand running, hoping to take it to locations in other East End towns, perhaps Southampton and East Hampton. Word about the stand has spread already, leading to a few invites to some local events. They said they would likely open the stand just one day per week, pointing out that back-to-back days of selling for a four-hour stretch in the heat was understandably taxing after a while for the girls, particularly for 6-year-old Maeave.

Overall, it was a mutually beneficial and enjoyable experience for everyone involved. Fiona summed it up best.

“It was funner than I thought it would be,” she said, with a smile.

For more information on Fiona and Maeave’s Lemonaid Stand, follow them on Instagram @sagharborlemonaid.