URBANDALE, Iowa — When most think about holiday drinks, beverages like eggnog or hot chocolate are likely the first ones to come to mind.
But a couple of Urbandale kids decided to bring a summer staple into the winter months, and much like hot chocolate, it's warming the hearts of many this holiday season.
Not too long ago, Kamryn, Brasen and Elysen Byrns started their day as normal. That's until their grandma Pat McMillen picked them up from school.
"I picked them up and they asked me to do a lemonade stand," Pat said.
Admittedly, it's a crazy idea to have a lemonade stand during the winter in Iowa, but Pat and her grandchildren made the "spur of the moment" decision and went to the store to get some supplies.
The Byrn kids had one plan in mind while serving up their lemonade—helping kids like them who may be lonely on Christmas. Their plan is just a piece of a bigger picture.
"The Byrn family are part of a special group of kids who give back to kids," said Rachel Oppold, director of giving for the Blank Children's Hospital. "And we call them shining stars. And they do everything from lemonade stands to picking up pop cans to making t-shirts."
The lemonade stand brought in more than $90 worth of sales. With a little help from their mom and dad, the Byrn kids were in for a sweet surprise.
"Each kid who reaches the milestone of $100 or more, they are invited to a recognition program," Oppold said. "Their name is on our donor wall, we give them a special certificate, we just really kind of go all out."
But for the Byrn kids, the gift of giving was enough to leave them feeling happy and excited.