Bringing Aid with Lemonade: A Hurricane Sandy Story

Written by Amy Yen, volunteer contributor

As you know, the American Red Cross has had a busy couple of weeks. So far in our massive relief response to Superstorm Sandy, we’ve served more than 4.8 million meals and snacks, provided more than 70,100 overnight stays at shelters, made more than 43,800 health services and emotional support contacts and handed out more than 477,700 relief items in ten states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

We’ve been able to do all of this because of the incredible outpouring of support from Americans all over the country. This includes two boys in Fort Worth who set out to make a difference with the most iconic of American youth traditions: the lemonade stand.

Thomas Danzi and Jack Fulton, both five years old, earned nearly $1,000 with their lemonade stand, which they donated to the American Red Cross’s disaster relief efforts.

Thomas and Jack at their lemonade stand benefitting the American Red Cross.



 When Thomas wanted to set up a stand, his mother, Katie Danzi, suggested they donate the funds to help others. Although, Thomas might have a little different idea of what the money is being used for.

“I asked him, ‘Do you think the people from the hurricane would need the money?’” said Katie, “And he said, ‘Yeah Mama, we’ll send it to all of them so they can buy dump trucks!’”

Katie said they did their research on where their money would make the biggest difference: “I’ve been keeping up with updates about the hurricane and there’s been a lot of debate about who the best organization was to give your money to to help. The consensus was the Red Cross was on the ground and was the most visible presence there, so that’s why we decided to go with them.”

So, armed with cookies, lemonade and homemade receipts made with Lego stickers, the boys set up shop in their neighborhood. The response was astounding.

“It was really amazing how generous everyone was. A lot of people weren’t really stopping to get the lemonade. They were just pulling up and giving us $20 bills and someone gave us a $100 bill,” said Katie. “We had signs that had Red Cross on them and I don’t really think people really needed to know any more than that. They were comfortable with where the money was going. People were very, very generous.”

All in all, the lemonade stand was a great success. Not only did it earn $947 toward the Red Cross’s Sandy relief efforts, Thomas and Jack learned the money went toward a little more than dump trucks.

Thomas and Jack make their first donation to the Red Cross after a tour of the Chisholm Trail Chapter from American Red Cross North Texas Region CEO, T.D. Smyers. They did see trucks!



 “We had a box where we were putting the money and sometimes people would ask Thomas and Jack, ‘Hey guys, where’s the money going?’ and they would say, ‘In the box.’ But I think they got it in the end. It was a great life lesson,” said Katie. “That’s why, when we went to the Red Cross office to drop off the money, we wanted to make sure to bring them so they could grasp where the money was going and why, and that they saw all the pictures of the devastation and what the Red Cross was doing to help.”

It made an impression: “Thomas asked when we could do another lemonade stand and I said, I don’t know, and he said, ‘Maybe when there’s a tornado?’ He was already thinking of how to help at the next disaster.”

It turns out, Thomas and Jack’s lemonade stand made an even bigger difference than just the money they raised. Katie shared a picture of the stand on a Facebook page for Jersey Shore Hurricane News, where it quickly liked more than 1,350 times and shared more than 1,300 times. It gave hope to people in the area and even inspired several other lemonade stands around the country.

Relief efforts for Superstorm Sandy are ongoing. More than 4,500 people remain in shelters and Emergency Response Vehicles continue to serve hot meals and give out supplies on the ground. If you’d like to donate, you can visit RedCross.org or text REDCROSS to 90999 for a fast $10 donation. Thank you again to everyone who’s already generously donated!

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RadioShack Donates $50,000 to Red Cross To Support Hurricane Sandy Relief Efforts

written by Lilly Watson, staff contributor



When disaster hits, the American Red Cross is thankful for supporters who help us take on the massive undertaking of getting those affected back on their feet. That's why we're happy to share that RadioShack Corp. today announced a $50,000 donation to the American Red Cross to support Hurricane Sandy relief efforts. The donation will help cover costs of shelter, food, recovery and other assistance to families affected by the storm.

“Hurricane Sandy has been a storm of historic magnitude,” said Dorvin L. Lively, CEO of RadioShack Corp. “RadioShack wants to support the Red Cross in its efforts to help the communities and families we serve get back to normal as quickly as possible.”

RadioShack is also encouraging customers to join them in supporting the Red Cross. Through mobile donations, the customers can donate $10 to American Red Cross directly by texting RED CROSS to 90999, then confirming the donation. The donation amount will appear on the customer’s next monthly invoice. RadioShack will be also be using its social media channels, such a their Facebook page, to share mobile donation instructions and encourage additional contributions.

Thank you, Radio Shack, for supporting us as we bring help and hope to those in the line of Hurricane Sandy! To support the Red Cross with a donation, follow our text to give instructions above or click here to make an online donation.

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Ways to Help as Sandy Prepares for Landfall

Written by Anita Foster, Chief Communications Officer, American Red Cross-North Texas Region 

Over the weekend, the American Red Cross in the Metroplex sent eight relief workers to New Jersey, New York and other areas in advance of Hurricane Sandy. With air travel all but halted, additional deployments will be delayed until after landfall. Even though North Texans are miles from the wind and rain, there are still three important action steps that local residents can take to help those impacted:

1. Give Blood. Residents in the impact zone will not be able to donate blood for the next few weeks as they'll be focused on disaster recovery. North Texans can do our part to help by ensuring we keep the nationwide blood supply stocked. To make a blood donor appointment, call 1-800-RED CROSS or visit www.redcross.org.

2. Make a Financial Gift. Mobilizing for a relief operation of this size is costly, but necessary. The Red Cross has already spent millions of dollars getting ready, and we'll spend millions more after landfall. North Texans can text REDCROSS to 90999 to donate $10, click on www.redcross.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS to make a much-needed financial donation.

3. Download the Hurricane App: This free application from the Red Cross will allow someone to receive alerts and track friends and family in the impact zone. The App is available for the iPhone and Android.

Once Hurricane Sandy makes landfall, the American Red Cross will have a better idea of how many people are directly impacted and what additional resources will be needed for relief efforts.

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