When Pari Sarkar was five years old, she decided to have a lemonade stand for her grandma to celebrate the July Fourth Holiday. She raised $30, and gave it all to her grandma, who used it to purchase some new leggings.
Seeing that something as simple as selling lemonade could help another, sparked something in little Pari, and for the last nine years, she has found a new charity each Independence Day to donate to.
Serve Daily first met up with Pari and her mother Pritha Lal in 2019 during her first official fundraiser, where she earned $113 to donate to the Springville Police Department.
The following year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Pari was unable to hold a lemonade stand, so she decided to make homemade crafts. She and her parents painted and stamped inspiring words on rocks that they delivered to people. That year, she earned $700 to donate to the police department, and was recognized by the mayor and chief of police for her generosity.
Creating things was something Pari found she loved doing, and she wanted to expand her reach by finding other local organizations and charities to donate to. In 2021, she donated $990 to the Springville Fire Department; and in 2022, over $3,000 was raised to help children in Ukraine and Families in Uvalde following a shooting at an elementary school.
2023’s fundraiser benefitted Art City Elementary in Springville, which she attended at the time. That year, she was able to raise over $4,000 to help the school purchase more school supplies.
2024 had her donating over 3,500 to The Headstrong Project for US Veterans and last year, she donated nearly $4,000 to Doctors Without Borders.
“I do this fundraiser to help people,” Pari told Serve Daily. “That’s what motivates me to do this each year. It’s to give back and help serve in this society.”
Pari is now 14 years old, and she is a ninth grader at Springville Jr. High. As she has grown, her art has evolved, and she has found new interests that have shaped what she has made to sell each Independence Day. She now calls her stand the Lemon Aid stand, and this year, she is selling bracelets inspired by her favorite music.
“If you know me, you know I love music from the 50s-90s, especially rock and grunge,” Pari wrote on a blog post. … “I love to help people, and I like to give back in various ways.”
She said that she loves history and named her fundraiser Lemon Aid after being inspired by the 1985 charity concert Live Aid.
“My love for history has driven me to make my little corner of the world a better place,” she wrote. “Perhaps someday, I will be able to change the world, but for now I will try and spread kindness and connection through one glass of ‘Lemon Aid’ at a time.’”
The bracelets Pari is making are album-cover-themed, where she is taking the color schemes to create them. With the help of both her parents and grandmother who is visiting from India, they have made over 200 bracelets to sell this Fourth of July.
Proceeds from sales will be going to Saprea, which is a nonprofit that helps individuals confront and overcome child sexual abuse.
Pari’s mother Pritha Lal told Serve Daily that she is very proud of her daughter for her “sincerity of purpose and her kind heart, and the sacrifices she makes to make this happen.”
“She could go on many more play dates, or just laze about but she doesn’t.” Pritha Lal said. “I truly admire this about her. Anyone who knows Pari, knows of her kind heart, but she’s also a very resolute young teenager who feels very strongly about society and does her little bit in her corner to make a tiny difference.”
Pari said that she looks forward to doing this every year, and is especially excited to celebrate America250 though spreading love and kindness.
“There’s so much hate in this world, that a little bit of kindness and love goes a pretty long way,” Pari said. “I look forward to doing Lemonaid each year. That’s part of the reason why I’ve been doing it so consistently for nine years.”
“Pari’s little lemonade stand has become a place for people from various backgrounds to gather, visit, and contribute to her cause,” her mom added. “Pari believes in the power of music. She plays multiple instruments and sings, and I am so proud she has found a way to use that inspiration and donate all the money to Saprea.”
While Pari’s fundraiser has been rebranded to reflect who she is today, lemonade is still very much a part of her initiative, and sells it along with her crafts.
Her fundraiser is held on July 4, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 1100 N. 400 E. in Springville. For more information on Pari’s Lemon Aid stand, go to parislemonaid.com.
