Littlest ones have the biggest hearts

Young Isabella Palladino heard the call for donations to help flood victims in Louisiana and organized a lemonade stand to help.

“It was my daughter’s idea when she saw Terry Reichel’s post about donations [to flood victims in Louisiana]. We planned to have the lemonade stand and donate the money, then they saw that and wanted to help.”

Reichel, president of the Island Park Business and Residential Chamber, had advertised for donations that would be trucked south to those flooding victims most in need. It was a way to pay it forward for Hurricane Sandy help Island Park and the surround areas received.

So Isabella gathered up her fiends and set up a lemonade stand. They sold 80 glasses of lemonade, 15 bottles of ice-cold water and some assorted snacks, raising $163, Jennifer said.

Then the crew went to the supermarket. They bought backpacks, pens, pencils, notebooks, laundry detergent, paper towels, toilet paper, Clorox wipes, diapers, baby food, wipes, tooth brushes, tooth paste, shampoo and paper plates, spoons and forks.

“I was riding solo on this one,” said Jennifer. “Lots of people stopped to help for a while.”

After dropping their goods at the collection boxes in the Island Park Library Jennifer said, “I think they all gained a little something from the experience.”