Waterloo girls raise money for families of fallen first responders with lemonade stand

WATERLOO, Ill. - Three girls in southern Illinois are using lemonade and kindness to raise money for BackStoppers to support families of fallen first responders.

Young girls in Waterloo, Illinois, are making a big impact by organizing a lemonade stand to raise money for the Monroe County chapter of BackStoppers, supporting families of fallen first responders.

The annual fundraiser takes place outside the Waterloo Fire Department, driven by a mission of service and gratitude. The community has rallied around the cause, contributing donations and support to honor public defenders.

"I'm very glad to be here because we're helping out Backstoppers and I'm glad the community is also helping out," said Anna Kalbflaische, one of the young fundraisers.

Brooke Blind, another participant, expressed her enthusiasm, saying, "I really like helping out the community and I know it's going to a great cause."

Kinley Davis added, "It means a lot and like a lot to him and I love that we're helping them out with this because they do a lot for us and the whole community."

Anna Kalbflaische noted, "The whole fire department is very proud of us."

The lemonade stand is more than just a summer project; it serves as a powerful reminder of the impact small acts of kindness can have. The efforts of these young girls inspire others to step up and support the community. The community's involvement highlights the importance of the cause, showing how much it means to everyone from the children running the stand to the neighbors who contribute.

If you are interested in supporting the girls' lemonade stand but missed them today, scroll below for a QR code for their Venmo account.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KTVI. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KTVI staff before being published.