(KSDK) – A family still dealing with heartache and pain is finding comfort in a community lemonade stand.
“What are you doing Chase? what are you doing?” said 3-year-old Carter to his older brother Chase. “Who’s the boss over here?… me.”
If you ask Chase and Carter Waller, the brothers have their own ideas about who is running their business. Their lemonade stand, Waller Bros. Sweets and Treats, serves up everything you need on a hot summer day.
“My favorite is skittles,” said Carter.
The boys have only been in business for a week, but the real boss here
says the community’s support has been overwhelming.
“A lot of people have come out and supported them just based off their smiles honestly,” said Jasma Steed, the boys’ mother.
Steed says for her family, 2020 hasn’t been so sweet. She lost her brother Jaquan Steed in July.
“He was a good kid, he would walk into a room and make everyone smile. So to me, it was just very careless and it caused my family a lot of heartache,” said Steed.
A gunman shot the 21-year-old as he was shopping for sneakers in the Saint Louis Galleria mall.
The boys, now business owners, too young to know they’ve lost their uncle.
“It’s something were going to have to talk about when they get a little older, but we’re definitely going to keep his name alive in this household,” said Steed.
But Steed says they’re not too young to learn life lessons like responsibility, respect, and the value of a dollar.
“After the first day, we’ve made a ton of money and my son was like oh yeah we got paid so ever since that day he’s like mom can we go to work can we put the lemonade stand up?”
Anyone looking for the young entrepreneurs can find them on St. Louis and Cherry Avenue.
Police have charged 18-year-old Jaron Lemmitt for killing Steed back on July 23.
Steed has been charged with one count of second-degree murder, first-degree assault, and armed criminal action.
At last check, Lemmitt is still being held in the St. Louis County Jail.
Republished with permission of St. Louis American content partner 5 On Your Side: https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/boys-start-lemonade-stand-after-uncle-is-killed-in-shooting/63-26f55f98-50d1-4d8f-babb-326b4e06dc45
