Preschoolers Put Philanthropy Into Practice, Raise More than $30,000 in One Day to Fight Pediatric Cancer

3 min
Jul 15, 2024
[caption id="attachment_7033" align="alignright" width="400"] The Malvern School of Newtown Square Lemonade Stand Day[/caption] Last week, children at The Malvern School, the region’s largest privately owned preschool, weren’t just learning about the importance of giving back in the classroom – they were putting philanthropy into practice at the school’s Annual Lemonade Stand Day benefitting Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF). Throughout the day, children and teachers at all 26 Malvern School locations throughout southeastern Pa. and central and southern N.J. rallied together to host lemonade stands in more than two dozen communities and raise money in other creative ways, ultimately raising $30,107.09 in just one day to help fight childhood cancer. “Developing young children’s character values – such as compassion, empathy and civility – and encouraging them to embrace the importance of helping others are some of the most powerful work that early childhood education can do,” says Kristen M. Waterfield, President and Co-Founder of The Malvern School. “I’m incredibly proud of how our teachers and directors engage students of all ages around these ideals through initiatives like this … and how everyone, including families, community members and partners, continue to drive truly meaningful support for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation.” Since The Malvern School began supporting ALSF more than 11 years ago, it has raised nearly $800,000 and each year has been named a Top Fundraiser by the organization. This year, The Malvern School has set its sights on raising $150,000 for the nonprofit from April through July. During this time, each school location and The Malvern School Executive Office host several special events and fun fundraising partnerships with local businesses to contribute to the cause. This includes sponsoring the CBS 3’s annual telethon, which will air Thursday, June 13 from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on CBS 3 and The CW Philly. The Malvern School has been a supporter of the telethon for several years and last year helped raise a record-setting more than $7 million in pledges in 14 hours. Waterfield adds, “Each event is an opportunity to not only make a difference for children fighting pediatric cancer and their families but to also bestow valuable life lessons onto our students.” For more information about The Malvern School’s partnership with Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation – including a link to a virtual lemonade stand where online donations are being accepted – visit MalvernSchool.com.     About The Malvern School The Malvern School, founded in 1998, is a year-round private preschool for ages six weeks to eight years. The Malvern School believes in developing the whole child in a nurturing, yet engaging environment and offers an innovative curriculum that has raised the bar in early childhood education. Today, The Malvern School has 26 locations throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania and Central and Southern New Jersey and is dedicated to providing curriculum that is designed to meet or exceed the highest standards established by the National Association of the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the nation’s largest early childhood accrediting organization. About Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) emerged from the front yard lemonade stand of 4-year-old Alexandra “Alex” Scott, who was fighting cancer and wanted to raise money to find cures for all children with cancer. Her spirit and determination inspired others to support her cause, and when she passed away at the age of 8, she had raised $1 million. Since then, the Foundation bearing her name has evolved into a national fundraising movement. Today, ALSF is one of the leading funders of pediatric cancer research in the U.S. and Canada having raised more than $150 million so far, funding nearly 1,000 research projects and providing programs to families affected by childhood cancer. For more information, visit AlexsLemonade.org.