A Woman Who Stole Kids’ Lemonade Stand Money Never Could Have Predicted The Response
Would you ever steal from a child? Most right-thinking people would say no and be appalled by the very suggestion. But not everyone is so upstanding. One woman took cash straight from nine-year-old twins Katelyn and Elias Smidt — a selfish action that put all of the kids' hard work in jeopardy. Yet the heartless thief hadn't reckoned how the local community would leap into action...
Mom's view
It all started with that most innocent of money-making schemes: a lemonade stand. “Goodness gracious. The kids have so been looking forward to having a lemonade stand all summer,” mom Karen revealed in a 2021 Facebook post. And after much patience and doubtless a fair bit of campaigning, the twins got their wish. Soon, though, Katelyn and Elias would end up in a situation even sourer than the lemons themselves.
A great start
Naturally, Elias and Katelyn set up their new venture right outside their home in Ames, Ohio. The lemonade stand was actually more of a hobby than a business, as the twins decided that they wouldn’t charge people for their drinks. But that didn’t prevent them from earning a juicy profit.
Raking in the cash
Throughout the day, the twins offered refreshing cups of lemonade to passersby. Taken aback by the kids’ friendliness and generosity, plenty of satisfied patrons left a token of their appreciation in the tips jar. And after just a few hours, the twins had amassed somewhere between $50 and $100 in tips. But, unfortunately, their good fortune would soon vanish from their grasp...
A change in mood
“We’ve had so many amazing people stop by,” Karen noted in the Facebook post. But what happened next turned a thoroughly enjoyable adventure into an upsetting experience. The mood changed when one particular car pulled up next to the Smidt twins’ stand.
