TORONTO — To Amanda Belzowski, 11, recent recipient of the Anne and Ed Mirvish Achievement Award for Young People, lemonade is much more than a drink.
David and Anne Mirvish with 11-year-old Amanda Belzowski.
Through her annual lemonade stand, Amanda has raised about $102,000 for
the Heart & Stroke Foundation over the past 10 years.
Being honoured with this award is very special, she said, “because the Mirvishes are special people. They gave so much to the city, and for them to notice me and honour me is very exciting.”
Amanda is also set to receive in November, the Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater Toronto Chapter’s 2008 Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy Award, for which she was nominated by the Heart & Stroke Foundation.
She donates to the foundation, she said, “because everyone knows someone affected by heart disease.”
One hundred per cent of this past spring’s profits were earmarked for pediatric heart and stroke research, she said, because “I want to raise awareness that it is not only adults affected by this disease. People need to know that it even happens to babies.”
That stand, her 10th, was in honour of her great-grandfather, David Dale, who died in December. “My grandmother and my great-grandfather both received artificial heart valves,” Amanda said.
Planning for the event, which includes pony rides, an auction, cake, popcorn and hot chocolate – everything is donated – is challenging and interesting, said Amanda, “but I wait for the actual day all year long. It’s more fun than my birthday.”
She met Michael (Pinball) Clemens, CEO of the Toronto Argonauts, at another fundraiser, she said, “and he was so impressed with my efforts, he promised to drop by [this past year’s] stand. He ended up staying three hours, and he donated box seats to the opening Argos game and a tour of the locker room, which we auctioned off.”
Among the supporters at last year’s stand was Party Props, Dominion, Corn on the Cob.Com, Dan the Music Man and Lionel’s Pony Ride.
She is getting her two-year-old brother, Joshua, involved in next year’s lemonade stand, she said. “We’re calling it Amanda’s Lemonade Stand and Joshua’s Cookie Corner. I want him to learn about sharing.”
In Grade 6 at United Synagogue Day Schools, Bathurst campus, Amanda would like to meet some of the kids hospitalized for heart problems and, if possible, would like them to come to her stand.
“I would also like to visit some schools and teach students that they are never too little to do something big for the world. I want them to have a lemonade stand that supports any charity they believe in. That will make Toronto a better place,” she said.
Amanda is starting to work on business proposals, she said, in order to attract some corporate sponsors. “That should raise our donations.”
The website for Amanda’s Lemonade Stand, www.amandaslemonade4heart.org, was created by Elizabeth Wright of Conceptual Design Management.com.
