An 11-year-old girl from Texas is awaiting the arrival of a headstone she purchased for her late father after raising nearly $3,000 at a lemonade stand. Kaylee Hernandez of Lubbock said she had long hoped to honor her father’s memory at his gravesite but that the family had been unable to afford a proper headstone following his death nearly two years ago.
A Heartfelt Tribute
Ricky Hernandez died after a battle with throat cancer. Kaylee described him as a present father who attended school events and spent quality time with her. Determined to give him the memorial he deserved, she decided to participate in the community’s Lemonade Day event on Saturday.
Setting up her stand in front of Lash and Brow Studio, Kaylee was surprised to find a line had already formed before the event even began. “My face was smiling the whole day,” she told KLBK. “I was busy. Towards the end, I was like ‘Mom. My feet hurt.’ Everyone was so nice. It was really good.”
Community Support
Kaylee made twice as much lemonade as she expected while serving both strangers and familiar faces. One of the first customers was a man who had worked with her father. “He knew my dad. He went to work with my dad, and I knew him from his work,” she told KCBD.
By the end of the event, Kaylee had raised nearly $3,000, enough to fully fund a specialized memorial headstone. She and her mother went to Resthaven Funeral Home and placed the order, which is expected to arrive in six to nine weeks.
Kaylee said that while managing the stand was sometimes difficult, the support from the community made it worthwhile. “He saw people showing up for him,” she told KCBD. “I did it, but it was for him. He saw people who care for him and me. It was good.”
