Victoria boy donates money from lemonade stand to hospital foundation

CHEK

As a baby, Anders Yee spent plenty of time in Victoria General Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

“So when he was born, he spent 35 days in the NICU, he was born seven weeks early,” says Anders’ mom Susanna Yee.

Last year Anders’ father tragically passed away. Looking for a way to give back to Victoria’s hospitals, the eight-year-old decided to start a lemonade stand.

“My dad passed away last summer and just first of all I would like to save a life,” says Anders.

“He said he wanted to donate [the money] and I asked him where do you want to donate and he says give me some ideas,” says Yee.

“I said ‘why don’t we donate to the Victoria Hospitals Foundation,’ and that’s what we did.”

The stand was a success and even after it closed for business, the donations continued to pour in.

“A lot of his friends were just driving down the road and went ‘there’s a lemonade stand,’ so they actually came by and helped support it,” says Yee.

“I was so proud and so emotional, he is so giving, just like his father.”

Then after a job well done, it was time to present the money to the foundation.

Story continues below.

Small hands, but a big heart: Anders donates the proceeds from the lemonade stand to the hospital he spent 35 days in as a baby. | CHEK

“This year we’re privileged to have over 10,000 donations from over 5,000 donors and Anders is just one of those and has a very special story,” says Victoria Hospitals Foundation director of development, Alec McKay.

“It inspires us to do our work and it inspires our caregivers at our hospitals to do even more than they’re already doing,” McKay added.

It just goes to show that even a small donation goes a long way.

RELATED: Beloved Victoria centenarian prepares to walk 104 laps to raise $104,000 for children’s charity

Cole Sorenson

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