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Denver boys who had police called over lemonade stand turn to website to raise money instead

Mom set up GoFundMe page after stand shuttered
Posted at 4:57 PM, May 30, 2018
and last updated 2018-05-30 21:04:47-04

DENVER – The boys who had the police called on them for their Memorial Day lemonade stand they set up to try and raise money for charity have now turned to GoFundMe to raise the money, and they were already halfway to their goal Wednesday afternoon.

Jennifer Knowles set up the fundraising page for her three sons to raise money for Compassion International to try and sponsor children in need in other countries after her boys’ story went viral Tuesday.

The boys had been using the lemonade stand to try and raise enough money to sponsor a 5-year-old boy from Indonesia when someone called the police and broke up their fundraiser.

The boys had set up their lemonade stand across the street from their house, but there also happened to be an outdoor art show with drink vendors operating nearby. Knowles believes someone from the art show called the police on her boys.

A Denver permitting department spokesperson said a one-day lemonade stand like the Knowles boys were running should have been allowed to stay because it did not require a permit, as some other food and drink vendors need.

The family has made its fundraising goal for Compassion International $912 – enough to sponsor two children. As of 4:50 p.m., they had already raised $516 from 29 people.