5-year-old boy’s lemonade stand raises $2,500 for Fort McMurray wildfire evacuees

Five-year-old Alexander Tuck spent his Saturday afternoon running a lemonade stand in a plaza outside Toronto, with the proceeds going to the Canadian Red Cross to help those affected by the Fort McMurray wildfire.

Danielle Tuck, Alexander’s mother, said her son was upset after watching the disaster on television and approached her with an idea to help.

“He’s been very sad seeing all the tragedy down in Alberta. We were talking one morning and we decided to do a lemonade stand,” Tuck said.

“Now, it’s just gone overboard.”

READ MORE: Fort McMurray wildfire reaches 156,000 hectares in size, expected to double Saturday

News of the lemonade stand in Whitby attracted people from all over town and beyond.

“There’s been families from (Fort) McMurray showing up. It’s overwhelming,” Tuck said.

“I’m very proud of him.”

READ MORE: As Edmonton prepares for another influx of evacuees, here’s how you can help

Cat Jones is visiting Toronto from Fort McMurray and she arrived just two days before the wildfire broke out.

“Living in Fort McMurray, we live in a community that everyone is so generous and so giving, and to see it coming back is incredible,” she said.

“We are one of the lucky ones… we came here two days before this whole thing happened so we missed the horror of everything and we are thinking of all our friends and family wherever they are,” Jones said.

“It’s so amazing that everyone is coming together.”

The lemonade stand brought in more than $2,500 that has been donated to the Red Cross. All donations will be matched by the federal government.

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley says the fire is burning towards the northeast away from Fort McMurray and heading to the Saskatchewan border.

0:55 Fort McMurray wildfire still burning out of control, may double in size: Notley