Two youngsters trying to raise money for cancer research run afoul of the neighborhood association.
By REBECCA CATALANELLO
Published July 23, 2003
[Times photo: Janel Schroeder-Norton]
Kara Liechty, 8, left, and her cousin Breanne Tanner, 9, were inspired to set up a lemonade stand in Seven Springs to help raise money for pediatric cancer research. After a Seven Springs Villa Association official told them they were violating the group's rules, however, the girls reluctantly packed up.
NEW PORT RICHEY - After an hour of selling lemonade at their grandmother's home Monday, 8-year-old Kara Liechty and her cousin, 9-year-old Breanne Tanner, reluctantly folded their chairs and took the cups inside.
"God save those who lack compassion," read a hand-written sign taped to the metal cart they left behind.
It's another story of a Florida lemonade stand effort gone sour.
Kara and Breanne had seen the Today Show on NBC that morning when 7-year-old cancer victim Alexandra "Alex" Scott told host Matt Lauer how her lemonade stand had enabled her to raise more than $100,000 for pediatric cancer causes.
The two cousins decided they could follow suit and contribute to Alex's well-publicized effort.
Eight dollars and 10 cents later, the aspiring philanthropists were told they were breaking the rules - the neighborhood association rules.
"There's no soliciting whatsoever," said Joseph Tokay, office manager for the Seven Springs Villa Association, who said he hated to be the one to deliver the news.
"We thought he was going to buy some lemonade," Breanne said.
Among the neighborhood rules the girls could have broken:
Rule No. 15: "Children shall not be permitted to loiter or play on the parking areas or any other common areas."
Rule No. 12: "No signs, advertising or notices of any kind or type, whatsoever . . ."
Rule No. 17: "Soliciting is strictly forbidden."
A resident of Seven Springs for the past three years, the children's grandmother, Dixie Bartlett, said she was crushed.
"I feel like the children weren't doing anything wrong," Bartlett said. "They're not hurting anybody."
The children and Kara's mother, Annette Liechty, have been visiting Bartlett from Michigan.
Liechty said she was encouraged when Kara said she wanted to collect money for charity. The girl is training to be an altar server in her home church. And the teachers at her Catholic school put a strong emphasis on public service, Liechty said.
It was the girls' first attempt at a lemonade stand. Will they do it again?
"Not in here," Breanne said.
Alex Scott's campaign has tugged at the heartstrings of plenty of big names: Philadelphia 76ers executive Billy King and University of Pennsylvania basketball coach Fran Dunphy among them.
Last year, children donated about $1,000 to Alex's cause by setting up their own lemonade stands, said Liz Scott, Alex's mother.
And even though their Web site, www.alexslemonade.com encourages youngsters to take up the cause with their own lemonade stands, the Seven Springs incident was a new one for Phil Arkow, communications officer for the foundation that collects and distributes the donations on the Scotts' behalf.
"This is a first for me," Arkow said. "Far be it for me to get in the way of neighborhood associations, but children in particular need to be giving back, and we should do everything we can to inspire them and encourage them to do that."
Earlier this summer, 6-year-old Avigail Wardein of Naples grabbed headlines and a spot on the Late Show with David Letterman when a neighbor contacted police to complain about a lemonade stand.
Neither Liechty nor Bartlett said they were familiar with the Naples incident. But they didn't want the girls to feel bad about a well-intentioned effort.
"I think what they've done is great," said Scott, Alex's mother. "In this case, they were really trying to do something nice. I just can't believe that somebody said they shouldn't be up here."
Kara and Breanne still plan to donate the little they did collect to cancer research.
For his part, Tokay said he regretted delivering the news. He said he didn't actually tell them to take down the lemonade stand, he simply said they violated the rules.
"I really didn't want to tell them to move," he said. "I felt bad then. I feel worse now."
