Leaning less toward traditional Labor Day cookouts and musical festivities, many D.C. residents took to the National Harbor to help combat childhood cancer.
In partnership with Alex’s Lemonade Stand, the National Harbor’s Westin Hotel held its second annual Alex’s Lemonade Stand event, garnering voluminous support from individuals passionate about childhood cancer and research.
Scott Remes, corporate sales manager at the National Harbor Westin, said that the hotel was excited to be a part of such an important mission.
“It is a cause that we really think is important, this will be our second annual event and we are really excited about it,” he said. “These kids are really special and with the heavy foot traffic that the harbor already receives, we have no doubt that by the end of the event, we will really have some great numbers. Last year we had hundreds of people donate to the event and every penny accumulated will go straight toward the foundation.”
During the event, attendees had the pleasure of listening to enjoyable music, purchasing fresh pastries, trying various lemon sorbets and, of course, taking home freshly squeezed lemonade.
Annie Korp, communications and public relations specialist of Alex’s Lemonade Stand, detailed how the Westin’s annual fundraiser went right along with the organization’s mission.
“Every year D.C. has a lot people who want to fundraise for Alex’s Lemonade Stand,” Korp said. “Anyone can register to fundraise for the organization and we are so thankful to the commitment of raising money and awareness of childhood cancer causes and research for new treatments and cures.”
Though it has been 12 years since Alex, who was diagnosed with childhood cancer just before her first birthday, died at 8 years old, the lemonade stand that she developed at the age of 4 has since garnered an estimated $127 million in cancer research and development.
That first front-yard lemonade stand, the revenue from which she intended to give to doctors to help find a cure to cancer, raised an amazing $2,000 in one day, ultimately giving way to “Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation,” created by her parents in 2005 in hopes of continuing Alex’s work.
