... Make Lemonade!

It's amazing how a little gesture can go a long way. This past weekend we hosted a lemonade stand as a fundraiser for Alex's Lemonade Foundation, as a way of supporting one of my Ironman charities, and as a way to celebrate my wife's birthday. First off, let me just say how lucky I am to be married to a woman who chooses to give of herself on "her day". She is wise beyond her years, as she has come to realize that there is no greater gift to give yourself than to give freely of yourself. This weekend was no exception.

Through the generosity of many anonymous and thirsty passers by, along with loved ones coming out for support and donating online, we were able to raise nearly $300. Not too shabby for a few hours work selling lemonade (I certainly couldn't have imagined making that kind of coin when I was a kid). Thank you to everyone who came out to support the cause and gave generously. With these donations we have made it almost halfway to our goal for this charity with a few months to go, and this has strengthened my spirit and commitment to the goals of all three charities.

It makes the training and the racing so much more enjoyable and fulfilling to know that at least a small amount of money is being donated to charity. The support of the people who read this blog and contribute to these fundraisers helps me to renew my commitment daily to work hard to achieve the goal of finishing an ironman. I would highly recommend to anyone who wants to live a fulfilling life to set an extreme and achievable goal for themselves and find a way to be in service while achieving that goal. The service will be the most fulfilling part of the journey.

See some of the pictures from the event below:

This was the setup for our lemonade stand; modest, yet effective, and the lemonade (prepared by my lovely wife) was delicious!

Zack & Sarah are natural salespeople (unlike their daddy). They were fearless (almost too much so) at approaching people and telling them about our cause. It makes me beam with pride to know that they are learning early how to give freely of their time.

Here, Sarah promotes the stand while a thirsty patron enjoys refreshment in the shade.

Thanks again to all those who came by to support the cause or donated online. If you couldn't make it, you can still donate to the fundraiser by clicking here.