By Ava Benedict
At only 11 years old, local resident Delanie Dennis has raised almost $90,000 for local pet charities — one cup of delicious lemonade at a time. Delanie has been serving her homemade lemonade at her family’s restaurant, Cafe Delanie, since April 2019. To raise funds for local animal shelters and charities, the cafe features new specials daily and weekly. From buffalo chicken salad to stuffed cheeseburgers, these tasty meals paired with lemonade have changed the lives of both animals and humans alike.
“I can’t believe it,” said Andy Dennis, Delanie’s father and owner of Cafe Delanie. “I would never have guessed that it would grow this much.”
Delanie was just 7 years old when she was inspired by the famous American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) commercials and Alex’s Lemonade Stand for Childhood Cancer. She devised the idea of a lemonade stand to help both animals and the community. Her amazing work for these organizations has received national recognition, with her lemonade stand having been featured on Good Morning America in March this year.
Some of her favorite parts of the experience were seeing the paperwork the night before and meeting Jennifer Aniston. Delanie also became the recipient of the 2022 ASPCA Kid of the Year Award for her generosity towards animal organizations. This year, she is set to receive the Youth Hero Good Deed Award from the American Legion Auxiliary. Her contributions toward animal shelters and rescues have continued to gain attention, with CBS News, ABC Action News and Southern Living all highlighting her commitment to helping animals in need.
Recently, the large medical media company MJH Life Sciences began selling Delanie’s lemonade in support of her stand and the Animal Welfare Association (AWA), a no-kill shelter located in New Jersey. The Dennis family traveled over a thousand miles to officially hand the check of over $3,000 over to the AWA, helping to ensure the safety and health of shelter animals and the prevention of animal cruelty. Although she’s accomplished a lot in four years, Delanie continues to aim high and is working to reach $100,000 donated toward animals in need.
“My big hope is to inspire other kids,” said Delanie.
To learn more, visit its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/delanieslemonadestand.
