This summer, second graders at St. Catherine’s Lower School rallied around classmate Charleigh Jones who was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma by hosting a LemonAid stand — aptly called Charleigh’s Daisy Angels — in her honor.
The stand helped students raise money for Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU, (CHoR) where Charleigh was receiving treatment.
“We had a group that put it all together, so the second graders had everything they needed,” says Kelly Haase-Eam, whose daughter Sophie Eam was one of the second graders involved. “The second graders did all the work.”
The students worked in 30-minute shifts, but many stayed over their shift to help. About 72 second graders were involved with the booth in one way or another.
“The girls were learning how to give back to the community by supporting one of their classmates,” Haase-Eam says. “They wanted a way to get involved. They were excited and so proud.”
Closing Out a Big Year
The stand raised nearly $35,000 in just a few weeks, helping Anthem LemonAid close its biggest year yet, raising a record $300,336, the largest total in the event’s 26-year history. Over that time, LemonAid has raised more than $2.5 million for pediatric cancer care at Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU.
The fundraiser for CHoR saw more than 300 lemonade stands pop up across the region, including 80 sponsored by local businesses, plus cause-marketing events from restaurants like Gelati Celesti, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Click Wine Bar, and Ford’s Garage..
A Thankful Ambassador
This year’s Anthem LemonAid ambassador was six-year-old cancer survivor John Modi.
John was diagnosed when he was three, the summer before he turned four.
“We had noticed bruising and nosebleeds. He had fevers that wouldn’t go away. By the time we suspected something was seriously wrong, he was too weak to walk,” says his mom Kaitlyn Modi.
John was diagnosed with leukemia. His treatment began August 2023 and he rang the bell declaring he had finished treatments on December 2025.
“We were fortunate not to have too many complications throughout his treatment. The most intense phase of treatment was the first nine months,” his mom says. “We were confined to either inpatient or social isolation at home because he was so immunocompromised. Once he reached the maintenance phase of treatment, he would still have intermittent inpatient stays, but was able to return to school, eventually start Kindergarten, and return to playing sports.”
She remembers the moment it became clear that her son had leukemia.
“After we had spent some time in CHoR’s emergency department and were awaiting test results, two doctors came into the room and introduced themselves as members of the oncology department. I immediately started crying because I knew that our lives were about to be turned upside down,” Modi says.
“CHoR is such a blessing,” Modi adds. “The care is phenomenal. It really highlights what a blessing it is to our community. I am very grateful to the various teams that have taken care of us during John’s treatment journey and who still take care of us today in the outpatient clinic.”
John was happy to serve as this year’s ambassador for the LemonAid stands. “It’s actually kind of cool. It’s basically being famous,” he says of the honor. “I wanted to help kids feel better about having cancer.”
John and his family hosted a LemonAid stand in their neighborhood and also circulated an online giving link throughout the fundraising period.
“We were so humbled and touched by the response from friends and family,” Modi says. “James’s (John’s older brother) soccer team showed up, neighbors showed up, coworkers and church friends all took time out of their day to show their support.”
