Arts & Entertainment

Luke Hasan: Cups of LemonAIDE for Clean Water in Haiti

Naperville 6-year-old Luke Hasan is raising money to deliver clean water filtration systems to Haiti by selling one cup of lemonade at a time.

For most kids, starting a lemonade stand is usually a way to cure summertime blues and to make a little spending money on the side. But 6-year-old Luke Hasan had bigger plans for his lemonade stand – much bigger plans.

After watching a video online of families and children in Haiti drinking from a contaminated lake, which tested positive for chlorea, Luke knew he had to help somehow.

“His first reaction was, ‘Oh my gosh mom, if they drink this they are going to get sick,’” said Luke’s mother Allison Hasan.

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So, the 6-year-old decided to start a lemonade stand to raise money for the people he saw in the video living more than 1800 miles away. With an entrepreneurial spirit, Luke didn’t just make a few signs to put out in the neighborhood, he invited everyone he knew and even made a Facebook page.

With help from his parents, the idea turned into an event called LemonAIDE.

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“We had over 100 people come the day of the LemonAIDE stand,” Allison said. “It was just an amazing response.”

Luke planned on donating the money from his LemonAIDE event to Impact for Jesus, a local non-profit, in order to buy water filtration units for the families in Haiti. What he didn’t plan on was just how much money the event would raise. His original goal was $500, but after the strong support from the community he has now raised $2113.

After the event itself took place earlier this month, the additional money has come through online donations, which are sent to Impact for Jesus. Everyone from neighbors to family members across the country have donated.

“We’ve actually gotten donations from all over the country and from about ten different states,” she said. 

Impact for Jesus is a sponsor of the upcoming , which will be held Aug. 11 at the , 14 S. Washington St. Luke will be recognized by the Naperville Woman’s Club for his donation efforts during the auction next month.

Until then, Luke continues to raise money online and is learning about the importance of making a positive impact to those in need.

“I think it’s important for him to that if you make some effort you can really change someone’s life and that it can actually make a big difference,” Allison said. “I want him to learn that you don’t have to save the world, but you can save a person and you can help a person and help one family and it does make a difference.” 

Visit Luke's LemonAIDE Facebook Page.

For more information on donations, click here.

The HeArts for Haiti silent art auction event will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. Aug. 11 at the Naperville Woman's Club, 14 S. Washington St. To learn more, visit the website or call 630-212-1705.


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