One neighborhood busybody tried to shut down two young Black entrepreneurs, but instead, it made their whole day.
Brothers Parez and Jakkhi Reese have manned a lemonade stand on a Kansas City, Kansas, corner for years, local station KCTV reported.
The money made from sales of blue raspberry lemonade, Kool-Aid, chips, and other treats adds up. This year, Parez, who goes by Rezz, dreams of buying an e-bike. But the boys are not capitalists at heart. They also use the money to help others. Rezz donates money to help the homeless, and Jakkhi plans to pitch in with diapers for his nephew and niece.
A neighbor’s 911 call nearly shattered their dreams. Police responded to the complaint, and what happened next is a heartwarming case of old-fashioned community building.
Officer Morgan Reed of the Kansas City Police Department was the first to arrive — and guzzle down a tall glass of lemonade. She quickly spread the word to her fellow officers, who showed up in force, and the day was saved for the boys.
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“I was calling everybody, yeah. I was just calling everybody, ‘Hey, make sure you guys stop by the lemonade stand,’” Reed told the outlet. “And then just whenever they were busy, a couple people were able to swing by.”
Within 30 minutes, dozens of first responders, including a fire truck, came to the corner for treats and refreshments. All told, the tycoons in training made $280 that day and plan to remain on the corner throughout the summer.
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“It means a lot because they gave us a big sticker to use on our shirts,” said Rezz, “and they were like ‘Now you’re an official police officer.’” Perhaps the boys can make a citizen’s arrest of the resident who tried to shut them down. But this summer they’ll have plenty of opportunity to perfect their sales, and, as the saying goes, success is the best revenge.
Officer Reed, who grew up in the city, went back the next day for more refreshments and plans to stop by again. “This was the thing we always looked forward to as kids,” she said, referring to the lemonade stand, but also “these friendly police interactions.”
