The Carpenter family hopes their efforts will raise awareness for Cure JM and bring hope to families like theirs.
When her daughter, Adley, was first diagnosed with juvenile myositis (JM), Alyssa Carpenter was scared. JM is a rare disease that currently has no cure, leaving Alyssa feeling lost. In an effort to find solutions for her daughter, she began researching JM online, watching numerous videos, and looking into Google searches that did little to alleviate her worries for Adley. Then, Alyssa found Cure JM, and as she read through their website, she was inspired by the foundation’s commitment to focusing on the future and the potential for better treatments and, hopefully, a cure for JM. This commitment, as well as the progress that Cure JM has made in developing new treatments, motivated Alyssa to become a volunteer, believing that her involvement would turn her family’s negative situation into something positive.
One way that Alyssa’s family has raised awareness and money for Cure JM over the years is an annual yard sale. Their community has greatly enjoyed being a part of the yard sale, and they look forward to the event annually. This year, however, the Carpenters switched things up by having Adley run a lemonade stand in addition to their yard sale. Alyssa was confident in her daughter’s ability to sell a refreshing drink and treats, and she was also confident that her community would give their support for a great cause.
Lemons to Lemonade for Adley
The first step in preparing for the lemonade stand was to order cups, straws, and a sign online. The Carpenters then worked on setting up their stand with apple crates, a table, lemon decor, and a drink dispenser, as well as a tent for shade. Lemonade was prepared, and Alyssa’s sister, aunt, and family friends made pepperoni rolls and sweet treats to sell as snacks. Lastly, the Carpenters included printed information about juvenile myositis and Cure JM for the patrons to read and take home.
She posted a reminder for her family’s annual yard sale on Facebook, she also let her community know that Adley would be having a lemonade and treat stand and that the proceeds from the stand would be sent to Cure JM. The Facebook post was a success in getting the community to rally around the fundraiser; customers even showed up an hour early, lining up outside the Carpenters’ home at 8 AM for the 9 AM lemonade stand.
The community went above and beyond in showing their support for the lemonade stand. The 1000 cups with lids the Carpenters ordered quickly cleared out as more and more lemonade was sold throughout the day. Fortunately, Alyssa had ordered extra supplies, so there was plenty more lemonade for the other customers. Supporters included teachers from the school Alyssa works at, and they brought their classes over and purchased lemonade for each and every child. They also donated extra money, telling the Carpenters to “keep the change.” By the end of the day, the Carpenters had raised $4000 for Cure JM! The Carpenter family was surprised with the immense success of their lemonade stand, but they were grateful for and emotionally touched by the generosity shared.
Alyssa hopes that she and her family can inspire others who want to do their own fundraisers for Cure JM. Her greatest advice is to ask friends and family for help. She also encourages future fundraisers to educate potential donors about Cure JM’s work and how the foundation has been instrumental to all the progress made in treating JM over the past 20 years.
Alyssa also wishes to send a message to the public about how important Cure JM is for her family and other families with children affected by JM. She believes that the foundation provides both the children and the family with the support and hope they need, and she credits Cure JM with providing her family with light in their darkest and scariest days. She also appreciates how hard Cure JM works to educate the public about JM and research the disease, and she has hope that they will, one day, find a cure for affected children like Adley.
