Neligh Kids Set Up Lemonade Stand To Help Tornado Victims

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Or in this case, sell lemonade to help others.

On Thursday, several kids from Neligh did just that to raise money for those affected by devastating tornadoes in the Pilger area. But even they were surprised by the amount of money raised in just one afternoon.

Sisters Haley and Abby Kerkman teamed up with siblings Rachel and Ashton Higgins to set up a lemonade stand Thursday afternoon on the Antelope County Courthouse lawn and served customer after customer as they collected $612.12 in a mere four hours.

"Quite a few people came by and just gave us money," Rachel Higgins said. "They didn't even take a glass of lemonade. When he handed us some money, one guy told us, 'They need it more than we do.' "

After seeing the devastating photos of tornado damage in Pilger, four Neligh children wanted to do something to help. When the stand opened, kids who stopped by for a glass of lemonade joined in their efforts. Simon Beacom, Renee Dick and Talon Krebs spent time at the stand helping.

Haley Kerkman said that after seeing all of the destruction, "I really wanted to help them."

The kids said they were really surprised by the generosity of the community and were happy to do their small part in helping the Pilger area rebuild.

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