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“I did research and I found other organizations, and that’s basically when I started helping,” Grace Targonski told Daily Voice.
So Grace founded Caring with Grace to raise funds and awareness of pediatric cancer in June 2014 with the hope that children wouldn't have to go through the same experiences that her aunt did.
One of Grace's fundraising activities is running an old-fashioned lemonade stand near the heavily traveled intersection of Glenbrook Road and Hope Street in Stamford.
“It’s busy," Grace said. "We have a lot of people going from different places in the intersection near my house. And there’s a lot of people who walk around.”
Her efforts have been a resounding success --- Grace raised $2,100 between 2014 and 2015 through the stand, she said.
To celebrate, she plans on hosting a celebration of the second-anniversary of her stand on Thursday, July 28, from noon to 2 p.m.
The stand has changed in some ways since it started. When Grace started out, for example, she manned it by herself. But now she has the help of friends, who pitch in at the stand.
Grace hopes that those who come to her stand take away the need to raise awareness and funds for childhood cancers. She also hopes they gain an awareness of the gold ribbon for childhood cancer awareness.
Grace and her friends have also participated in other projects, including cleaning weeds at the intersection near her lemonade stand. Grace has also cleaned up city parks and beaches.
She also holds bake sales and other fundraisers through Caring With Grace to support groups such as Ellie’s Hats, Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital and the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.
Grace's interest in philanthropy started early — she started helping Toys for Toys when she was 5. And now she hopes to grow Caring for Grace.
“I hope to become a nonprofit organization,” Grace said. “And even though I’m pretty well known in my community, I hope to just be more out there.”
To learn more about Caring with Grace, visit its Facebook page here.
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