The annual lemonade stand, carwash, and bake sale has raised $17,644 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in the past 10 years in Chase Bailey’s memory.
At age 16, Bailey died on August 18, 2015, of osteosarcoma – a form of bone cancer. The fundraiser began in 2014 after Bailey was diagnosed with osteosarcoma and has been held at four different locations in Clarksdale.
The fundraiser started with a lemonade stand at Oakhurst Baptist Church. It later expanded to a lemonade stand and bake sale. The fundraiser moved to Presbyterian Day School, then Yazoo Pass, and has been at Clarksdale Baptist Church for the past three years. A carwash was added to the fundraiser three years ago.
A total of $2,187 was raised for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at Clarksdale Baptist Church on Saturday. That made the total amount raised in 10 years $17,644.
Tiffney Weaver’s son, Carter, initially thought of the idea to have a lemonade stand in Bailey’s honor. Tiffney Weaver reflected on how the fundraiser has grown through the years. “My heart just feels happy when I pull up to stay and see all the cars and the community coming out and supporting,” she said. “It means a lot to us.”
Carter Weaver was unable to attend the fundraiser on Saturday, but his mom let him know that $2,187 was raised. “I text him, and he said it made him teary-eyed seeing the picture,” Tiffney Weaver said.
The Weaver family moved to Maben six years ago, but Tiffney makes the annual trip to Clarksdale to lead the fundraiser in Bailey’s memory. “I always will,” Tiffney Weaver said. “This is where Chase lived, and I’m always going to come back and do this for St. Jude.”
Tiffney Weaver started a color run in Maben to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, but the fundraiser in Bailey’s memory will always be in Clarksdale. “I’m always going to do the lemonade stand,” she said.
Bailey did appreciate the community raising money in his honor with a lemonade stand when it started in 2014. “He was thankful that his friends would rally around him and support him,” Tiffney Weaver said.
The fundraiser honoring Bailey’s memory will remain the way it is in the near future. “We had a lot of youth this year,” Tiffney Weaver said. “I’m very pleased with that. Next year, we’ll ask the youth to come back. Pretty much, it’s going to be the bake sale and the car wash. I think it’s pretty good right now.”
Anyone who would like to make a donation to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Bailey’s memory could send it to @Tiffney-Weaver on Venmo.
