BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. – Throughout history, the lemonade stand has been a summertime staple and symbol of childhood entrepreneurship. But there was one special eight-year-old boy who opened for business in Cane Bay, and it was all for a good cause.
Gavin Root set up shop in front of his home in the Lindera Preserve subdivision, under a large beach umbrella, with tables filled with refreshing lemonade and snacks for sale.
“There is a lot of stuff. The lemonade is 50 cents. The bottled water is a dollar. Rice Krispy treats for a dollar, cookies for a dollar, popcorn for a dollar,” Gavin explained to a neighbor.
Gavin spent the night before excitedly prepping the food and snacks and making signs with mom Heather Root, despite her reluctance to open a lemonade stand.
“It’s Covid-19, it’s the middle of summer, 110 degrees, I work at a hospital and take lots of call. Setting up a lemonade stand was the last thing on my list, so I avoided it for many weekends, but then realized we could team up with a great charity,” Heather said.
Gavin has always wanted to be a police officer when he grows up, he says at least since the age of seven. Mom says officers who patrol in their neighborhood, from Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, have really made an impact on him.
“They are here to keep us safe, from anything, like robbers coming into our house, arresting them,” Gavin said.
He told his parents he wanted all the money raised from his lemonade stand to benefit the Berkeley County deputies who serve his area. Multiple friends and neighbors heard about his lemonade stand and stopped by for a drink, snack, or simply to make a donation.
“I love Gavin’s heart. I love his purpose. He wants to be a police officer. He wants to raise money for heroes, who wouldn’t want to support that?” friend Beth Haumschild said.
“We saw that he wanted to be a policeman and we said that this family is raising a stellar young boy,” Karen Peterson said.
Her husband added, “It’s amazing this young man has these goals already. Here he is doing something for the police. We want to get behind him and support that,” Floyd Peterson said.
Dad Brian Root says Gavin is an inspiration to himself and many others.
“He has the biggest heart. He knew instantly he wanted to do something to help someone,” Gavin’s father Brian proudly stated.
Brian hopes the lemonade stand has showed there is much support of law enforcement in the area, despite news outlets sharing many stories involving police misconduct, shootings, and brutality.
“This is a good way to show some positive. There’s always bad seeds in everything, but not all police are bad. They deserved to be praised. They put their lives on the line for us. Anything we can do to help them, give them less hate and more love,” Brian said.
Even Berkeley County deputies caught wind of the lemonade stand and came out to support. In the end, Gavin’s lemonade stand raised more than $200 and the spirits of community members and law enforcement alike!
“I like police officers. They are really good heroes. I just want to save the world,” Gavin said.
Gavin’s mom says she plans to reach out to the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office to present deputies serving the Cane Bay area with the gift.
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