Child donates birthday money to help with Lemonade Stand

BY Dawn Rankins

Nearly two weeks later, the Garcia family of Canyon Lake still continues to receive donations for NEGU, a cancer organization that gives Joy Jars to kids and their siblings who are fighting cancer.

Young Juliana Garcia is no stranger to cancer and she recalls how happy she was to receive her Joy Jar when she was battling her cancer. She said they even gave one to her brother.

Last week, after the family’s Lemonade Stand Fundraiser at Indian Beach, a letter was delivered to the Garcia‘s home. It was handwritten by 9-year-old Sophia Oliva who is a neighbor to Juliana.

Photo by Cara Garcia

Sophia saw the flyer on her mailbox for the upcoming lemonade stand fundraiser and noticed Juliana’s picture. “I want to go,” Sophia told her mom, Amanda.

Amanda told her daughter they could try, but it was being held during Sophia’s birthday party and they might have to miss it. Sophia, determined to do something, asked her mom if they didn’t make it back in time, could she still donate some of her birthday money that she had already received.

Amanda said the more Sophia thought about the flyer, the more questions came to her mind. Amanda’s dad passed away a couple of years ago from cancer and Sophia was really close to him.

After studying the flyer, Sophia realized that not only do adults get cancer, but kids do, too. Amanda explained to Sophia that not all kids survive. They can pass away like her papa did.

Sophia said she never knew kids got cancer and didn’t know Juliana had it when she was little. She became even more focused on making sure she donated money to help the kids who were battling cancer, Amanda said.

The Oliva family had to miss the lemonade stand fundraiser, however, Sophia spent a lot of time according to her mom, writing and rewriting the letter she would hand deliver to Juliana and her family.

Amanda said when Sophia took $20 from her birthday money and put it in the envelope, it melted her heart.

“I couldn’t be more proud of my daughter and her compassion towards others,” Amanda said. “Writing the letter to Juliana and donating her birthday money was totally her idea and I couldn’t be more proud as a mom.”

Amanda said Sophia talked a lot about cancer as she was remembering what happened to her papa and grasping the idea of a child getting it, too. She talked about the topic with her brothers, Dylan, 13, and Gunner, 5.

When Sophia delivered the letter to the Garcia home, Cara Garcia, Juliana’s mother, was moved.

“It really touched my heart to have a little one do such a huge thing,” Cara said. “That is a letter we will always treasure.”

Cara said she is overwhelmed with gratitude for the outpouring of support for her daughter, her family and the lemonade stand.

“We intend on doing this every year to help raise money for kids battling cancer,” Cara said. “I really appreciated Pepe’s for their large donation that put us over our goal of $2,500 and the Canyon Lake Bible Club that offered to cover the expense of the rented pavilion at Indian Beach.”