(L-R) Kali Dyke, age 7, younger sister Kaydi Dyke, age 6. (Supplied)

By Sheldon Spackman

Heart Warming Support

Sylvan Lake girls donate cash from lemonade stand to local charity

Jul 13, 2021 | 2:12 PM

Two young girls from Sylvan Lake took it upon themselves last week to offer their fellow residents a break from the heat while raising money for a charitable cause.

Kali and Kaydi Dyke, aged 7 and 6 respectively, set up a lemonade stand on their street last Friday and donated the proceeds to Red Deer-based Paws and Claws Animal Rescue Foundation.

According to their grandmother Annette Dyke, the girls raised $517 for the organization, thanks to the generosity of Sylvan Lakers who dropped by the lemonade stand.

“I’m just so proud that they were so happy to do it and so happy with themselves after helping the kittens and getting this perspective,” says Dyke. “It’s not all about them, it’s the giving and I’m so proud of them for wanting to do it.”

(Supplied)

mayor hopes to meet housing minister this month

Alberta demands Ottawa back off on housing funding stripped from Red Deer

10h ago

Last seen Jan. 15

Missing: Courtney Cattleman, 17, of Maskwacis

15h ago

eyes up

Air Spray training around Red Deer Regional Airport

15h ago

Dyke notes that until last week, the girls usually held a lemonade stand for fun every year and used the proceeds to buy themselves some treats. This year, however, the girls wanted to raise money for a local charity.

“Earlier last week I saw on Facebook, Paws and Claws had posted an influx of kittens they had received and that they were in desperate need for money and supplies and stuff, so I said to the girls, “We should have a lemonade stand and have it this weekend and have it for Paws and Claws”, and they were like, “Yes, let’s do this because we want to save the kittens!” explains Dyke.

She says her son then suggested promoting their lemonade stand fundraiser on a local Facebook group, which really drummed-up support for their initiative.

“People were just coming and giving money, like $20 and writing cheques and e-transfers,” adds Dyke. “There was one man who came with a big bottle that he was saving cash in for a long time. It was all filled with change and so he decided to put another $40 into that bottle and when I counted it, it was $258 in the bottle all together.”

The generosity shown by the girl’s fellow community members was overwhelming says Dyke.

“The girls had fun and they were entertaining and I was kind of keeping the lemonade topped up at all times because we were quite busy,” laughs Dyke.

“There are simply not enough words in the English language to properly express how incredibly grateful we are for the over the top support we have received this week,” reads in-part, a July 10 post on the Paws and Claws Facebook page. “We made a desperate plea for help, and you guys came through in so many different thoughtful end generous ways.”

“The supplies have been pouring in, as have the donations to purchase what we need. We have had compassionate kids out working their butts off selling lemonade to raise funds, and donating their allowance money so that animals don’t go hungry,” the post continues.

“At the beginning of this week, we weren’t sure what we were going to do. But because of everyone who stepped up to help, we were able to intake more than 60 kittens in need in the last five days,” the post reads. “These are record breaking numbers for us.”

“We feel confident that we will be able to feed them and get them properly vetted, and that they are in loving foster homes instead of in cages at the shelter or starving on the street,” the post concludes. “You all made that possible and we couldn’t be more thankful.”