When 8-year-old Michael Diamond (pictured) overheard his parents discussing how expensive a funeral would be for his grandmother, who passed away after battling cancer, he took it upon himself to help with the costs. The pint-sized entrepreneur came up with the slogan “Kool-Aid for a Cause” and set up his own stand so that he could raise enough money for a proper burial for his beloved grandma, reports Fox News.
Bobbie Diamond-Anderson was only 52 years young when she passed away on Father’s Day. Soon after, Michael eavesdropped on his mom, Teresa and dad, Michael Sr., who are both on disability, discussing how they had some monies saved to put toward the funeral expenses but were short $5,000.
Michael, who had a very loving relationship with his grandmother, reportedly wanted to help desperately, so he approached his mom with his idea: “He just came up and said, ‘Can I have a Kool-Aid stand; I want to help out with the funeral.’ And, I told him yeah because that’s what she would have said. Just let him do it. Even if he makes 20 cents; let him do it,” Teresa told Fox News.
The Garfield Heights, Ohio, third grader put his wheels in motion, and by Tuesday, he had set up the Kool-Aid stand. Once a local radio station got wind of the boy’s efforts, though, Michael had customers waiting to buy his drink in droves, with some reportedly driving from across the state and handing over as much as $100 for a cup of the sweet concoction.
Watch news coverage of Michael’s hard work here:
One woman, Pamela Casserlie of Broadview Heights, who visited the stand and gave Michael $100 for his cause, told Fox News, ”When I saw this little boy, what he was doing for his family about his grandma’s funeral, tears came to my eyes. I said I have to go donate to this little boy.”
When Kraft Foods, the makers of the legendary powdered drink, heard about Michael’s efforts, they, too, sent the Diamond family a donation for the funeral.
Michael, who worked his stand every day until Sunday afternoon, was able to successfully raise the $5,000 his family needed in order to give his grandmother a proper burial.
Way to go, Michael!
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