You know, there's so much bad news in the world that it's a good thing when we see people show some heart. An that's how an 11-year-old boy who was robbed at his lemonade stand is seeing another side of humankind in the outpouring of support he has received since his story was reported. Austin Cundy, 11, was robbed by two teenagers of a plastic container containing $20 that he had collected by selling cold drinks from a lemonade stand in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Cundy said he was selling cold drinks to raise money to go camping with his grandparents and to buy a birthday present for his mother. He said he saw two teenagers on bicycles eyeballing him as they were riding past. One of the teenage boys then punched Cundy, shoved him off his chair and took the plastic container with the money in it along with Cundy's wallet, which held his library card and student ID. A tip from the public led officers to the home of a 17-year-old boy on Wednesday where officers found a container but no money, police Sgt. Steve Sagmeister said. The teen was being held on suspicion of robbery and physical abuse of a child, pending formal charges, he said. Even though police got the bad guy, Cundy said it probably will be a while before he opens another lemonade stand.To show how good people can really be, some people who have contacted him asked if he'd like to have a lemonade stand at their businesses. Another person offered to give Cundy and his parents passes to the Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture gathering this last week at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh. Others have simply offered to replace the stolen money.
Cundy's mother, Nicole Cundy, said she's impressed with the response from the community. "All of these people are showing how much they care about a little boy they don't even know," she said. "It's wonderful." The boy's grandmother, Barb Cundy, agreed."This shows how people really care. There are good people in the world," she said.You see, our conscious efforts to be positive, enthusiastic, and supportive can have a huge impact not only on the emotional well-being of our children, but on their ability to experience the joys and pains of being a kid in healthy and constructive ways. My hat's off to the good people of Oshkosh. I wonder if anyone offered this kids a pair of those Oshkosh 'bgosh jeans?
