An Arkansas teenager’s fundraiser for a bicycle to help run errands for his mother proved successful after it took wind on social media and gained the support of two generous residents.
Within hours of setting up a lemonade stand, 14-year-old Kaleb Hayes not only received money but was also gifted with two bicycles — an outpouring of support that required more drink supplies to meet the demand.
Hayes had set up the fundraiser Thursday in front of his home in the 300 block of Woodlawn Avenue in Hot Springs, the Sentinel-Record reported.
The teen’s hope was to raise enough money to pay for a bicycle to help his recently divorced mother, who didn’t have a vehicle, with tasks that required transportation.
One customer, college student Jeremy Porter, said that he posted the lemonade campaign to a Facebook group, which then “blew up with a lot of people concerned and a good amount of people willing to help.”
In less than an hour, the post garnered more than 100 comments.
Among those who saw the post was Hot Springs resident Jeremy Davis, who said he was touched by the teenager’s work ethic.
“My childhood was the same way. I had to work for everything I wanted,” Davis told the Sentinel-Record.
Davis said he then felt compelled to stop by Hayes’ home, where he asked the teenager his favorite color and told him that he would be right back.
When he returned from a trip to Wal-Mart, Davis had purchased a blue bicycle that was just the right size and style for the 14-year-old.
Another bicycle — a 10-speed mountain bike — had already been dropped off by someone else, but it was a little too big.
After being gifted with the blue bike, the teen offered to give all the money he had raised, but Davis declined.
“I bought a cup of lemonade, and bless his heart, it was kind of warm, but it was the best lemonade I’ve ever had,” Davis said.
Hayes told the Hot Springs newspaper that he “felt weird” getting two bikes in a matter of minutes, worried that he might appear greedy.
Information for this article was contributed by Steven Mross of the Sentinel-Record.