A young entrepreneur successfully managed a lemonade stand on Leggott Avenue in Barrie’s south end Sunday to raise money to buy his first dog — and to also help a local animal shelter.
Plans are also underway for another upcoming sale.
Four-year-old Ryan Mancinelli squeezed lemons and stirred up the juice with sugar for a tasty summer drink in the hopes of raising enough cash to make his dream a reality — and city residents stepped up — donating $400 to his cause.
Half of the money was presented by Ryan on Monday at the front desk of the Ontario SPCA Barrie Animal Centre on Patterson Road.
Ryan’s mother says he was upset to learn the other day there are dogs and cats at the shelter who have no home.
“I got so many customers,” the boy tells BarrieToday at his roadside stand on Sunday.
“We had such a wonderful day. The community really came out,” says his mother, Maegan. “Social media is a powerful tool, it seems. My boys had a lot of fun and we ran out of lemonade.”
Ryan worked hard to build the stand, make the lemonade and help with the baking of cookies.
“He was out there for three hours and what a wonderful turnout,” she says.
Ryan says he has never had a dog before, but has two cats, named Howie and Momo.
“We’re trying to get them to let us have a dog,” he says of his current pets. “First we have to teach the dog to be friends with cats.”
His wish is to get a black and white dog, specifically a Bernese mountain dog, his mother says.
When asked about what he plans to name his dog, Ryan takes a few moments and thinks hard about it. But doesn’t know just yet.
Ryan is eager to show off the box of cash he earned up to that point in the day.
“I’ve almost got a lot of money," he says.
He isn't sure of the total, but says he needs “at least 10 more dollars.”
Ryan says he can’t wait to bond with his future four-legged pal when it arrives home in the near future.
“I‘m going to teach him tricks and once he does a trick I’m going to give him treats,” he says proudly.
“I hope you enjoy your lemonade,” he yells to the reporter as he adds a toonie to his cash box and waves goodbye.
Ryan and his family say they plan to have another lemonade sale on an upcoming weekend in Innisfil at his grandparents' house to try and raise more money for their puppy fund, and to help further support for the OSPCA.
