Lemonade for Livy: Crowdsourced FUN-draising

Jon Scheinman and his family are more loving and more energetic than any family I’ve met in a long time. They have kicked off a national effort called “Lemonade for Livy,” to raise funds which will go to the Epilepsy Foundation to support epilepsy research.

How it all started

Lemonade for Livy started several years ago when friends of the Scheinman family had a lemonade stand to raise money to help with Livy’s medical costs. Livy was born with a brain malformation and began having seizures the day she was born. She later had a functional (partial) hemispherectomy, however she still experiences seizures on a daily basis. Livy also has Cerebral Palsy and is primarily non-verbal but clearly communicates to family and loved ones.

The family friends raised $90 with one lemonade stand.

That simple act of kindness got Livy’s twin sister, Hailey, thinking about how they could raise money and awareness with lemonade stands of their own. So last year, Hailey, who was 8 at the time, organized 10 lemonade stands (with a little help from mom and dad). According to Jon, “Hailey is Livy’s biggest supporter.”

Lemonade for Livy Weekend

This year the family has spread the word about Lemonade for Livy and is hoping to have a lemonade stand in all 50 states. They have dedicated the weekend of July 25-27 as the official Lemonade for Livy weekend. As mentioned above all money will be donated directly to the Epilepsy Foundation. In fact, the family is asking that checks be made out to the Epilepsy Foundation directly.

Hear from why Hailey thinks this is important

How to Participate

There are lots of ways to participate whether you are a kid or a grown-up. Here are a few ideas:

Have a lemonade in your neighborhood
Have a lemonade party
Try a Lemonade book club
Set up a lemonade stand at a sporting event or a yard sale
Have a pool party
Sell Baked goods
Grown-ups might enjoy a Lemondrop party

Be sure to get recognition

Don’t forget to let Livy and Hailey know that you are having a stand or party. They will turn your state purple on the map and watch for pictures of your event. You can register your event here:

How to submit donations

1. Online

DONATE ONLINE

2. By Mail

Please make checks payable to the Epilepsy Foundation

Mail checks to:

Livy’s Hope
PO Box 15326
Clearwater FL 33766

Attn: Lemonade for Livy

Mail money by:

Send checks by August 10

You can make a difference

Before Jon Scheinman and I ended our conversation he noted, “It is really important to bring people together. Something like this can bring some hope and bring people together in a way that is fun but has a real purpose.” I hope you consider having a lemonade stand July 25-27 to support Hailey and Livy and epilepsy research. Oh, and spread the word.

Jessica K. Smith Founder and CEO; Executive Director

Jessica Keenan Smith is a patient advocate and epilepsy community leader with more than 15 years of experience. As Founder and CEO of Living Well With Epilepsy and Executive Director of ASENT she bridges the gap between the scientific and patient communities, with a particular focus on the needs of the epilepsies. Jessica Keenan Smith is Founder and CEO of Living Well With Epilepsy, an award winning online resource for people affected by epilepsy to share stories and access in-depth information on the disease. Since 2009, Living Well With Epilepsy (https://livingwellwithepilepsy.com) has been featured in Forbes, Wired, NBC, NPR and the cover story of Epilepsy Advocate Magazine and has partnered with companies such as UCB, Lundbeck, Sunovion, Eisai, and more. Ms. Smith is also the Executive Director of the American Society for Experimental Neurotherapeutics (ASENT) (https://asent.org), an organization that brings together leaders from industry, academia, government and advocacy who are engaged in bringing drugs and devices to market across all neurologic disease states. In this role she is responsible for leading a successful scientific journal and annual scientific conference with speakers from all over the world.

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