Some Sunset Park children spent their Labor Day weekend selling lemonade and cookies from a stand at Pearl and 24th Street to raise money for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Anthony and Nicholas Salazar and their mother, Guyo Maruyama, came up with the idea, and Maruyama and her neighbor Amy Green baked the chocolate chip cookies.
The young entrepreneurs raised $1,025, which will be matched by Maruyama’s employer. The money will be donated to the Red Cross.
Anthony Salazar, who is 10 years old and a 5th grader at Grant Elementary School, reported that, “many gave money without taking any food…[and] others didn’t ask for change. It makes me feel good that I helped.” The largest single donation was $170.
Anthony’s 12-year-old brother Nicholas, a 7th grader at John Adams Middle School, said, “People want to help but need a place to go to help. We might do it again.”
The other children who worked at the stand were Kenji Lewis-Koury, Jack Aron, Simone Schriger, Isaac Nemzer, Daniel Aron, Samantha Schriger and Isaac Nemzer.Yolanda Lewis who is also a Sunset Park resident in an e-mail to the Mirror stated, “Being an African American citizen, this touched me and my family deeply. Here was a group of youngsters from well-to-do families who are still enjoying their summer vacations, yet had committed the bulk of their weekend to creating signs, and setting up a stand to sell licorice, home made lemonade and home made chocolate chip cookies.”
