Lemonade Stand Fundraiser to benefit KICKcancER

Cancer survivor Juliana Garcia and her family are hosting their 3rd annual Lemonade Stand Fundraiser on Saturday, Sept. 28, from 12 to 3 p.m. at Indian Beach. In addition to offering lemonade for a donation, the family will be selling raffle tickets for $5 each for a chance to win an Aqua Lily Pad and other items donated by local businesses.

The proceeds from the fundraiser will benefit KICKcancER, a non-profit organization formed 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 holistic methods with their children undergoing treatment. The kits cost roughly $100 each. Juliana received one of the kits while she was in treatment.

In November 2015, Juliana was just three years old when she 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’s left kidney and the tumor attached to it were removed. Following surgery, Juliana received six months of chemotherapy to reduce the chance of a recurrence.

The Garcia family hosts a Lemonade Stand Fundraiser annually to bring awareness to childhood cancer and to raise funds that benefit children with cancer.

Last year, the  family 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.