Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation
Alexandra Scott, known as Alex, and daughter of an Elsevier colleague, was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, an aggressive childhood cancer, two days before her first birthday. In 2000, at the age of 4, Alex suggested to her parents a seemingly simple idea – she would hold a lemonade stand to raise money to help doctors find a cure for kids with cancer.
For the next four years, despite her deteriorating health, Alex held an annual lemonade stand to raise money for childhood cancer research. Following her inspirational example, thousands of lemonade stands and other fundraising events have been held across the United States to benefit Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF). In 2004, at the age of eight, Alex lost her battle with the disease – she had raised over $1 million for research in her short lifetime.
ALSF is a unique grant making organisation, working directly with doctors and researchers to bring new treatments to children with cancer. The Foundation, which has raised over $25 million to date, is closely aligned with Elsevier’s mission to make genuine contributions to the science and health communities.
Alex’s story has touched many RE employees, creating strong support across the group. Since 2004, we have contributed over $174,000 from employee fundraising including lemonade stands, along with grants and matching gifts from RE and Elsevier. The Elsevier St. Louis and Philadelphia US offices were recognised as two of the Top 100 Alex’s Lemonade Stands in both 2007 and 2008. Elsevier supported the Lemon Ball in 2007 and 2008 – an annual fundraising event for ALSF in Philadelphia which raises more than $500,000. The matching gifts send a strong message to employees that RE is a good place to work because it helps the same charities they enthusiastically support. Alex’s parents, Liz and Jay Scott, wrote in the year, “the overwhelming outpouring of support from Reed Elsevier has been a part of our lives and Alex’s legacy for years and we are extremely grateful to each of you.”
The lesson that children and adults everywhere learn from holding their own lemonade stands is simple but powerful – every person can make a difference.