A neighborhood remembers: Olympic Hills lemonade stand returns Sept. 11 after hiatus

In the tree-lined streets of the Olympic Hills neighborhood, a powerful tradition of community, remembrance and generosity flourished for two decades. The neighborhood lemonade stand, begun as a last-minute fundraiser by local kids and moms, turned into an anchor for the community – and this year, it’s returning after a two-year hiatus. 

Back in September 2001, the neighborhood kids were heading back to school at Eden Lake Elementary – and the country and community were dealing with grief and fear after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Sue Donkersgoed wanted to do something. After her son and his classmates were encouraged to bring donations to school to support victims of the 9/11 attacks, she thought a lemonade stand would give them a sense of responsibility for the funds and a way to understand the impact of the money they were raising. 

It was a success by any measure. “I remember that first year, we raised nearly $900,” Donkersgoed says. “People were so eager to help. We had a woman two doors down, and her husband was in the towers. She handed the kids $20 and walked back down the street. It really stuck with me all these years.” 

What started with just a jug of lemonade and a platter of cookies quickly grew into a yearly event, a symbol of the neighborhood’s commitment to service and remembrance.

Over the years, the stand raised more than $106,000 for various causes, including veteran support groups, 9/11 memorial organizations and local charities connected to veterans and 9/11 survivors. Kids of all ages pitched in, baking cookies and serving lemonade, learning about the importance of giving back and remembering the sacrifices of others.  

Donkersgoed managed it all with a few other neighborhood moms, welcoming a new group of kid leaders every few years as the original lemonade-makers grew up. In addition to seemingly endless pitchers of lemonade, the stand offered a classic chocolate chip cookie from one of Donkersgoed’s childhood recipes.

“In high school, my friend and I would watch Elvis Presley every Friday night and then go to the grocery store with her mom,” Donkersgoed remembers. “We’d get a bag of chocolate chips and go back and make those cookies. I still have the original recipe card I wrote.”

For the lemonade stand, she’d make bowls of dough and distribute them to neighbors to bake, so multiple ovens could be running at once to keep up with demand.

After two decades, and with no immediate successors in the wings, Donkersgoed made the difficult decision to pause the stand after its 2021 run.

“I didn’t want to stop,” she says. “It’s always been so important to me, but it seemed like it was just us stay-at-home moms doing all the work. And after so many years, it felt like it was time to let it rest.” 

Happily, the hiatus was temporary. Nicole Erickson and Steph Keck reached out to Donkersgoed to ask if they – and their kiddos – could revive the lemonade stand. It returns this year on Wednesday, Sept. 11, bringing with it a new generation of helpers from the Bright Sides Service League, a new volunteer group of high school students and mentors dedicated to community service. 

“We have frequented the stand over the years and always thought it was a great event to come together as a community to remember and honor the spirit of sacrifice made on 9/11 and the sacrifices that continue to be made by first responders, members of the armed forces, veterans, and their families,” say Erickson and Keck. 

The new organizers, including kids from the Bright Sides Service League, are working hard to ensure that the event remains a staple of the neighborhood.

“We have several kids in the group that live in the Olympic Hills neighborhood and thought it would be a great opportunity to bring the stand back,” Erickson and Keck say. The stand, as always, will be hosted on Sue Donkersgoed’s front lawn, and visitors can find it by following the American flags that will line the street. 

The 2024 stand will support North Star Marine Veterans, a Minnesota-based nonprofit dedicated to honoring the service of U.S. Marine Corps veterans. In partnership with North Star Marine Veterans, funds will be allocated to the Como Park Marine Corps JROTC, a leadership program for high school students interested in serving their country, and to Camp Gratitude.

“Camp Gratitude is such an amazing program,” Donkersgoed says. Founded by Eden Prairie real estate agent Bill Hottel, the camp offers a free, week-long getaway for military and veteran families. “They have a counselor, a family therapist, people who do arts and crafts,” she adds.

“Events like these bring people together through the common bond of helping and supporting one another,” Erickson and Keck say. “Especially in the wake of the events that happened on Sept. 11, 2001, we made a promise to never forget, and this is a great way to honor and remember together as a community. … We’re just really excited to bring the stand back. It’s a great way to remember what’s important and to bring people together. I think we’re going to have a great turnout.” 

For more information and updates, visit the Bright Sides Service League on Instagram. A flyer has been posted on the Olympic Hills 9/11 Lemonade Stand Facebook page, and more will appear in neighborhood mailboxes this week.