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"The
Lemonade Gang"
The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche
once said, "Youth is a disagreeable time, for it neither
possible then or prudent to be productive in any sense
whatsoever." Perhaps his outlook would have been different
had he known the dedicated and generous group of Branford
kids who call themselves "The Lemonade Gang." Eight
years ago, a group of young children decided to do something
to help their friend, Brian Kelley, in his fight against
adrenoleukodystrophy. Their initial efforts were to
raise money for the Myelin Project by selling lemonade.
However, the 'Gang' soon realized that their love of
musical theater and performances could be another way
to raise funds. At first these productions were suitable
for family members only, and took place in the homes
and back yards of various members. Last year, however,
The Lemonade Gang's production of Grease was opened
to the public and was a huge success.
When a new friend entered their lives, Hanna Bloomquist,
the Gang had a new goal to achieve, helping to fight
childhood cancer. Instead of splitting their funds equally
between their two causes, the Gang decided to double
their efforts. Thus, the kids created and performed
a holiday concert at the Blackstone Memorial Library.
With this concert, the kids were able to provide holiday
gifts to the families of Hanna's pediatric oncologist,
families struggling not only with their children's health
but also with huge medical bills.
In 2005, the Branford Community Foundation was understandably
impressed with the philanthropic spirit and dedication
of the Lemonade Gang. In order to further encourage
this group of wonderful kids, the Board of the Foundation
elected to contribute $1,000.00 to the Gang's charities
of choice. The Board of the Branford Community Foundation
is truly inspired by the Lemonade Gang and encourages
all of Branford to support their efforts. Keep an eye
out for upcoming productions!
Pictured above are: (back row) Tess Bloomquist, Meg
O'Brien, Jonathan Carlson, Greg Nobile, Ryan Bloomquist,
(front row) Rand Lewis, Ellie Bloomquist, Luke Jenusaitis,
Ricky Weiss, and Conor Shea. Missing from picture: Coral
Serrano-Bennitt, Katrice Kemble.
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