Niagara students toss lemons to raise awareness, prepare for world record

Students from the Niagara Region teamed up Thursday to raise money – by tossing lemons – for Family and Child Services (FACS) Niagara.

Niagara Catholic School Board and the District School Board of Niagara students held an event called “Lemon Twist” for “LemonAid Day” to raise awareness and raise money for the local charity.

They gathered to toss a lemon from one student to another until the sour citrus fruit travels a full kilometre.

LemonAid Day is a Kids Helping Kids initiative that sees children set up lemonade stands across Niagara at no cost, to raise money to send children supported by FACS to summer camp.

“It’s so important for us to be able to send kids to camp, because there’s so much physical social and emotional growth that takes place,” said Brett Sweeney, the Director of Communications and Community Engagement at FACS Niagara, “and we know not all families can afford it – it costs about $250 to send a child to a week-long day camp in Niagara, it costs about $1000 to send a child to a week-long overnight camp outside of the region.”

“So that’s why this event is so important – it’s leveling the playing field so all children get equitable opportunity to go to summer camp, experience that growth and just create some happy childhood memories,” said Sweeney.

LemonAid Day for FACS Niagara raised funds to provide more than 600 weeks of summer camp, to send over 400 kids served by FACS.

Thursday’s event was also a practice for students as they plan to attempt a Guiness World Record in May of next year.

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