Taten’s Lemonade Stand is making a difference for one organization

This is the fourth year 12-year-old Taten Adams has set up his lemonade stand during the Sturgis Rally. He uses his birthday money every year to buy the sweet supplies. The lemonade stand usually raises over $1,000 with all of the proceeds going to the Domestic Abuse Crisis Shelter in Sturgis.

Ashley Adams, Taten’s mom and the Executive Director at the Crisis Intervention Shelter, says he came up with idea all on his own.

“So Tate had been listening to us talk about kind of needs that we have within our shelter. And he wanted to do something to help. And he would help down at our Santa Exchange, which is a fundraiser. He thought, well, can I do a lemonade stand? And when better to do it then during the rally? And so he funds everything with his birthday money, like the canopies, the shelters, but everything else comes out of his pocket and then he just donates all of his proceeds to the shelter.”

Taten says, “Because of the people that come here, they only come with the back clothes on their back, nothing else. To help the people that are getting abused.”

Ashley explains how much the shelter provides for people seeking help.

“Last year we served over 2700 shelter days. So that’s per individual. It was over 105 people that came in. We provided over 1500 crisis line calls and 84 of those calls resulted in immediate shelter, which meant they were fleeing right at that moment and had nowhere else to go. Our shelter personally has different options. We have a crisis line that you can call. We also have an online website that you can reach out for help on and if you are doing so and maybe your abuser is in the house, we do have an escape button that you can hit and it’ll take you to a completely different website. Also, you can text the national hotline. There’s a bunch of different options out there. The hospital can help – the police department.”

Taten plans to annually host the stand until he goes away for college.

Ashley says, “I think we’re all just proud of him and his eagerness. Most kids are out playing or raising money to buy new toys or something, and he just gives it all back.”

The stand will be up at 832 Sherman Street in downtown Sturgis until Friday, August 12th at 4 p.m.