Well Being: Lemonade and love for the four-legged

A Norman Rockwell sight I cherish come summertime is the front-yard lemonade stand operated by young entrepreneurs.

On a recent evening, while walking my two corgi mutts, Ellsworth and Hancock, I saw a novel variation: a mobile lemonade stand.

"Hi, would you like to buy some lemonade? All of the money goes to the SPCA," said a cute little girl who was pulling a red wagon containing a jug of the beverage and a jar of complimentary cookies.

At the time, I was wearing running shorts and not carrying a wallet, so I had to decline. But I was charmed by the enterprise and promised I'd be back.

I kept that promise, and this is what I learned.

The girl's name is LilyRuth Mamary (pronounced MAY-merry), and she has been selling lemonade most evenings since the end of school in and around Shortridge Memorial Park in Wynnewood.

It all began with Happy. That's the name of the kitten LilyRuth adopted early last month from the Delaware County SPCA in Media. A couple weeks before, her older sister, HannahRose, also adopted a kitten, Lucky, from the SPCA in Philadelphia. The two new cats share quarters with two energetic Boston terriers, Peanut and Stewie, who came from rescue organizations.

LilyRuth first saw Happy, a gray tabby, in the adoption nursery at Buzzy's Bow Wow Meow in Narberth. She fell in love with her personality.

"She was really happy," explained LilyRuth, 7, who will begin second grade at Merion Elementary in September. "That's why I named her Happy."

Happy has made LilyRuth so happy that she decided to share that happiness with others.

"I felt like doing a lemonade stand for a good cause," LilyRuth said, "and the SPCA is the only one I know. If I could raise some money, that would really help animals, and they might get adopted and then another animal and another person would be happy."

Recalled her mother, CeliaSue: "She nudged and nudged, and I kept trying to put it off. I finally realized how much she wanted to do this, how much she had it in her heart."

The Mamary girls are practiced in helping animals. CeliaSue has been taking them to local SPCAs and animal shelters at least once a month for the last five years. There, the girls pet and play with the dogs and cats. The animals love the contact and attention. They gain confidence and become more social. Animals that are comfortable around people are more likely to stand out and find a home. Lately, the girls have been braiding scraps of cloth into pet toys for the critters they visit.

LilyRuth talked to her father, James, about setting up a lemonade stand. But they couldn't settle on a suitable table or promising location. Then a stroke of inspiration: Why not use the girls' trusty wagon and take the lemonade stand to the customers, just like an ice cream or popsicle truck?

LilyRuth and HannahRose, 11, decorated the conveyance with signs and drawings of dogs and cats. The signs read:

"Lemonade. $1 a cup."

"All profits go to the SPCA."

It should say "earnings," her mom explained to LilyRuth, since Mom and Dad are covering the overhead (lemonade, cups, and cookies). In other words, every penny donated goes to the SPCA, LilyRuth affirmed.

The lemonade is not from a carton or can. It's made with organic lemon juice, sugar, and water. I can vouch: It's a tasty tonic on a broiling day.

LilyRuth launched her business the day after the last day of school in mid-June. Just about every day, she plies the streets around the park from about 4 to 7 p.m. Many people are walking their dogs then and are glad to contribute to an organization that promotes the well-being of animals.

One evening recently, LilyRuth encountered a group of people who loved her lemonade, and the cause it supports. She sold so many cups that the jug ran dry. Some paid but didn't get a drink. No matter, they said. They were happy to help.

But this bothered LilyRuth and her budding sense of business ethics. She ran home and told her mother, "We need to make some more lemonade quick!" Another batch was concocted, and LilyRuth, lugging her wagon double time, caught up with her customers and made sure all got what they had paid for.

LilyRuth keeps her earnings in a plastic food container with a slot in the top. The take so far: about $50. The SPCA publishes a wish list, and by summer's end, LilyRuth hopes to make enough, about $300, to buy the SPCA a laptop.

"She wanted to earn the money," her mother said, "and is proud to be doing it herself. Both girls are very sensitive, thoughtful, and kindhearted."

How does LilyRuth feel?

"I'm really happy, because I like cats and dogs and animals."

at 215-854-5606 or acarey@phillynews.com.