Quench your thirst at Lemonade Stand Fundraiser

The 3rd annual Lemonade Stand Fundraiser will be held Sept. 28 from 12 to 3 p.m. at Indian Beach. Hosted by the Garcia family of Canyon Lake, the fundraiser is in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and to raise funds for KICKcancER.

The Garcia family is no stranger to cancer. In November 2015, three-year-old Juliana was diagnosed with Wilms’ Tumor following a routine wellness check-up.

Wilms’ Tumor, also referred to as Nephroblastoma, is cancer of the kidneys that typically occurs in children. Four days after being diagnosed, Juliana had her left kidney and the tumor attached to it removed. Following surgery, Juliana received six months of chemotherapy to reduce the chance of a recurrence.

Last year’s fundraiser proceeds raised more than $1,500 for Create a Smile, a non-profit organization with a mission to inspire children one smile at a time by offering gifts to those who have been diagnosed with cancer and are undergoing treatment in order to enhance and ease their quality of life.

The proceeds this year will benefit KICKcancER. The name of the non-profit organization is in honor of the founder’s son Kicker who was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, a type of cancer in which the bone marrow makes too many lymphocytes.

KICKcancER provides KICKstart kits to families interested in exploring and integrating some holistic methods with their children undergoing treatment. The kits cost roughly $100 each. Juliana received one of the kits while in treatment.