My 8-year-old daughter asks me if we can host a lemonade stand at least twice a month. It seems she thinks you can just make the decision and then be outside handing out refreshing beverages in under five minutes. I’m constantly telling her it requires a little bit of planning … and promising that we’ll do it before summer it out.
So when our neighbor started the #lemonaderealtor movement last month to encourage others to raise money for charity by selling lemonade, I decided it was time to pay it forward. The realtor even gave us the fixings for the lemonade and a promise to contribute to the team that scored the most “likes” on Instagram.
My daughter wanted to support Press Uncuffed, a campaign that I helped start with a professor and students at my alma mater, the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at The University of Maryland. Press Uncuffed raises money for wrongfully imprisoned journalists by selling bracelets bearing their names. The proceeds go to the Committee to Protect Journalists, who works to free media members in jail and protect those in harm’s way.
Not only has Press Uncuffed raised an impressive five-figure amount since we launched in May, but four of our original nine journalists are no longer in prison. The broader goal of the campaign, of course, is to protect press freedom around the world.
So yesterday morning, we started baking treats and stirring up lemonade. I was so impressed by how many of my daughter’s friends came by to buy something and ended up standing on our lawn screaming, “Support Press Freedom!” and chasing cars as they drove by.
In total, we raised more than $200 for Press Uncuffed. The kids (and I!) were so proud. The lessons learned about charity, community and freedom of the press were absolutely priceless. Now we’re just waiting to find out if we won the Instagram likes bonus. It’s not too late to vote!
