Edna Maguire Fourth Graders Turn Lemonade Into Philanthropy

Brothers don’t always know best.

Having raised $200 from their summertime lemonade stand – free popcorn provided a surefire biz boost - fourth graders Tessa Keane and Emily Peters couldn’t figure out what to do with their earnings.

Despite consistent ribbing from one of Tessa’s older brothers and Emily’s younger brother to go on a spending spree with the cash, the girls started a little club called "Kids That Care" that met under the Keane family’s staircase. They made a list of possible charities to support and took votes from their family members.

Tessa was born at California Pacific Medical Center, and the San Francisco hospital’s Pediatric Specialty Clinic won out, as they decided they wanted to help sick childrem

"We are touched and delighted to see Tessa and Emily's philanthropic spirit at such a young age," said Kristen Darmody, director of development programs for CPMC Foundation.

The girls visited the clinic earlier this month to drop off their check, take a tour and have their photos taken with some of the clinic’s staffers.

“Word got around such that during the photo shoot the 'lemonade girls' were visited by several nurses and physicians who wanted to meet them, including the chairman of the pediatric department at CPMC,” Darmody said.