In early August, the island of Maui in Hawaii faced brutal wildfires, resulting in the death and disappearance of hundreds of residents. A group of students attending Almond Elementary School in Los Altos decided they had to take action.

When third-graders Parth Deshpande and Myra Prakash and fifth-grader Remy Lynn first heard about the news, they were devastated, so they decided to hold a fundraiser to raise awareness and money for the rebuilding efforts. 

“When I saw the video, I felt bad for the people who lost their lives and their valuables,” Parth said. “When I saw that happen, I wanted to help rebuild Maui.”

Fresh lemonade and homemade cookies sounded like a promising way to raise money, so they set up a stand across from Los Altos High School. Quickly attracting the attention of numerous high school students, the students were able to raise $192 — later doubled by parents to $384 — and donated the proceeds to the Hawai’i Community Foundation. Freshman Joseph Wang was one of the customers who bought chocolate chip cookies from the stand. 

“The fundraiser was really cool,” Joseph said. “And I think that, despite being young, it was nice how they were trying to help people and the environment.”

Not only were the students able to help Hawaii, but they also learned how to connect with older students, who initially came off as intimidating. When asked about her interactions with the high school students, Remy appreciated their willingness to support their fundraiser. 

“The LAHS students were nice and encouraging,” Remy said. “I felt like they really wanted to help our cause.”

As for the parents, the lemonade fundraiser was more than just helping Hawaii and meeting high school students. The Almond parents wanted to impart the idea of a “giving mindset” to their children and give them a chance to give back to the community. 

“As adults, I feel we should create opportunities for students to get involved more,” Parth’s mother Smita Deshpande said. “Children should cultivate a generous giving mindset which can help with a greater sense of purpose in life.”