By MADDY VITALE
Each year, Cosette Symons and her brother, Ryder, talk to their parents about their lemonade stand — a yearly fundraiser they hold outside their home at 68th Street and Landis Avenue in Sea Isle City.
Most importantly, they choose who will benefit from their event. This is the fourth year of the fundraiser for Ryder, 6, and 8-year-old Cosette.
The fundraiser will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Saturday. Proceeds will go to the Sea Isle City Volunteer Fire Department.
Cosette explained why she and her baby brother chose the fire department as this year’s recipient.
“Because they save people and they put out fires,” she said. “They help us, and they are brave and they do everything to help.”
She also mentioned a bit about why she likes to work with her brother on the annual fundraiser.
“He helps me clean up the messes that we make, and he is a blessing to have,” she said.
Mayor Leonard Desiderio urged the community to support the kids’ fundraiser.
“This weekend, if you would like to enjoy some cold lemonade and support a good cause, the Symons children will be hosting their annual Lemonade Stand on Saturday at the corner of 68th Street and Landis Avenue, where they will raise money to benefit Sea Isle City’s Volunteer Fire Department,” he said. “So, please stop by between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. to purchase a cup of lemonade and to meet two very good kids who are doing very good work.”
Over the past four years, Cosette said that she has seen how excited and willing people are to donate to good causes. The first year’s fundraiser benefited the Sea Isle City Police Department. The following year, proceeds went to the city’s VFW Post 1963 and last year money raised went to police officers who were injured on a call in 2022.
“It makes people happy to give,” she said.
Parents Krista and Jason Symons, who also have a home in Manahawkin in Ocean County, said that their children enjoy doing good deeds.
The selection of the city’s fire department was an easy one, they said.
“My son loves the fire department, and we go to a lot of festivals with fire trucks,” Krista noted. “They learn about public service and people helping. It was their idea. They really wanted to help the fire department.”
Jason Symons is a retired Howell Township police officer. He currently works as a dispatcher for the police department, which is located in Monmouth County.
“We talk to the kids about police and what they do and they are always very happy to help,” Krista said of her children. “They are sweet kids and very happy to give back.”
Last year, as in the years before that, the community joins for good causes.
People gave $5, $10, and $20 bills for a cup of lemonade and refused to take their change, Krista said. Two lemonade stand customers even donated $50 each.
“We raised $600 last year. People were so generous,” she said. “Once people find out it’s for a good cause, they are so generous.”
To donate, visit the Symons’ Lemonade Stand at 68th Street and Landis Avenue in Sea Isle City. For those who can’t attend, you can donate though Krista Symons’ Venmo account at https://account.venmo.com/u/Krista-Symons
