MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11) – The “Aloha Spirit” is alive and well on the Upper West Side thanks to the goodwill of an 8-year-old entrepreneur.
Julian Lin set up a lemonade stand at West 67th and Central Park West this weekend to raise thousands of dollars for the victims of the wildfires on Maui.
Lin, whose stand is a fixture in the neighborhood, dedicated Saturday’s effort to his friend’s family from Lahaina after they lost everything in the historic fires.
He told PIX11 the fundraiser goes beyond lemonade, “I wouldn’t call them customers. I just call them donators because they didn’t really buy anything.”
His mom said the family is “so moved by your support…it all made a difference.” On Saturday alone, the effort raised over $2,200.
This was the first lemonade stand this summer after Lin was robbed of over one hundred dollars in the spring. Though the tragedy in Hawaii motivated him to return to the street to help his friend, the community and the Maui Humane Society, his mother said.
The NYPD even showed up with a check.
Back on Maui, Ryan responded to the New Yorkers’ donations.
“it will go to my family paying mortgage. I’m crying right now because of how you guys thought of me,” Ryan said.
A GoFundMe will also continue raising money for the wildfire victims, surpassing its initial goal of $1,500.
