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Alex, who died Sunday from neuroblastoma, a childhood cancer, lived life with a simple dream. That dream was to help the hospitals that had been helping her. Or more specifically, she just wanted to give the hospitals a hand in helping other children.
So she went out and launched an effort to raise money for cancer research one cup of lemonade at a time. Her efforts started out with a few homemade signs in her front yard and donations from caring neighbors and friends, bringing in a few hundred dollars. Within a couple of years, her efforts ballooned into an international event, with lemonade stands in all 50 states, Canada and France.
And in the end that will help a lot of children.
With her parents by her side, holding her hands, Alex passed away on Sunday afternoon.
"It was all her," Judy Scott, Alex's grandmother said this week. "She wanted to find away to make all kids' cancer go away."
Alex was diagnosed with neuroblastoma the week of her first birthday in 1997. In 2000, at the age of 4, she organized her first lemonade stand while her family was still living in Connecticut.
She held the fundraiser as a way to give back to the hospital that was helping her.
In the fall of 2001, about six months after the family moved to Wynnewood, Alex held her first local fundraiser.
Initially, Alex's idea only received a mild reception from her parents.
"I was unsure about the idea at first. I worried that if Alex only raised a few dollars and she would be disappointed," Liz Scott said during a lemonade sale in 2002.
Two years later she is still astounded at all of the responses.
"We were always surprised," Liz said on Tuesday.
Because of the money that was raised in 2002, Liz and Jay Scott set up an Alex's Lemonade Stand fund through the Philadelphia Foundation. The money raised through the foundation is going exactly were Alex wanted the money to go: to pay for pediatric cancer research.
"We will make it bigger and better. This will live on," Liz Scott said.
As of June 22, $165,500 had been sent out to fund pediatric cancer research programs.
This year Alex set a goal of raising $1 million by the end of the year. So far her efforts have brought in $700,000, with Volvo pledging to bring the total up to $1 million.
Phil Arkow, spokesman for the Philadelphia Foundation, said the goal would be broken.
"She will go well beyond the million dollars," Arkow said. As word of Alex's death spread Monday morning, the Web site has been drenched with new donations.
This week, Arkow has been feverishly trying to keep up with all of the donations that have been pouring into the fund.
About 400 donations came in on Monday for about $18,000. Tuesday may have been even busier.
Arkow added that many people have been sending in letters with their donations. One boy from the Midwest wrote, "When life throws you lemons, throw them back harder."
Viewings were scheduled for Wednesday. Funeral services will be held at the Church of the Redeemer in Bryn Mawr Thursday at 11 a.m.
Donations can be made online at www.alexslemonade.com or through the mail at 333 E. Lancaster Ave. No. 414 Wynnewood, Pa., 19096. They can also be made by calling 215-563-6417.
