It all started with Payton. In the summer of 2018, six-year-old Payton decided she wanted to have a lemonade stand. We talked about where the proceeds would go and decided that 100% of all proceeds would go towards purchasing new toys for patients at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC). Payton received a new toy (teddy bear) when she was a patient there at a very young age and that bear has slept in her bed every single night since. It’s a very special toy to Payton and has provided her with great comfort and security over the years. Now that she’s older, she wanted to give back and provide other kids in need with their own special toy. After the success of her first stand ($768!!) in the summer of 2018, Payton decided she wanted to make this an annual event. A year later, at her second stand in the summer of 2019, she raised almost $7,000!! Word started to spread about this annual fundraiser and more kids wanted to get involved. In 2020 we came up with the idea of Payton’s Pals and implemented EIGHT additional stands! Stands were hosted by kids all over the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area. Together, with the support of the community, we raised over $35,000 at our 3rd Annual Payton’s Lemonade Stand! While supporting children at CCHMC has always been at the heart of Payton’s Lemonade Stand, we have realized that there are many other children who are facing hardships that could use our support. So, as we continue to grow, we will be supporting children through other organizations, in addition to CCHMC, who fall in line with the mission of our organization. With that in mind, we became an official nonprofit (501c3) in 2021. In the summer of 2021, the 4th Annual Payton’s Lemonade Stand added even more stands. With the help of over 100 kids at 30 stands across the Tri-State, we raised $60,000 to sweeten the lives of kids facing hardships!! We expanded that even further in 2022, with 50 stands and 200+ kids. Hosts included fire departments, soccer teams, girl scout troops, local businesses, and kids in their driveways all helping to raise $85,000 for kids facing hardships – incredible! In July of 2023, we hosted our 6th Annual Payton’s Lemonade Stand and it was our biggest event yet! We had 70 stands all throughout Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. We even had one in Florida! We gained more fun new hosts like Kings Island and a local senior living community and together we raised over $100,000 – in just three hours!! So that’s our story! What started as one little lemonade stand in Payton’s driveway has blossomed into a booming nonprofit helping thousands of kids every year who are facing medical, personal, and economic hardships. We’re helping kids experiencing homelessness, kids in the foster care system, kids in the hospital, kids who don’t have access to basic needs and so many more!