Maxx and Holly - Macon Telegraph - May 10, 2007

It's never too early to learn to serve others

By Alline Kent - Telegraph columnist

Holly Bass wasn't very talkative the day I met her at Burger King. But that's okay, as actions speak louder than words every time.

Holly, who is 5, and her brother Maxx, 3, are the children of Tony and Lynn Bass. Both children attend Christ United Methodist School - Holly in kindergarten and Maxx in pre-school.

According to their mom, they are typical kids. They love to play outside, go camping, ride bicycles, read, swim. Holly has just received her yellow belt in karate. They love to go to church and hear about Jesus.

But while they are still very little, they both already seem to have a pretty firm grasp on the Golden Rule.

Do unto others.

During little Joanna McAfee's struggle with cancer two years ago, Lynn Bass got involved with raising money for the McAfee family and in daily prayer for Joanna.

"I showed Holly and Maxx pictures of Joanna from her Web site and explained, in an age appropriate manner, as much as possible with such a tender subject that she was so sick and that we should pray and help in whatever way possible," Lynn recalled.

"We got Joanna T-shirts and often checked the Web site for new pictures and talked about her. Since she was close to Holly's age, Holly connected with Joanna although she never got to meet her."

After Joanna's death, Lynn has stayed active with the Joanna McAfee Childhood Cancer Foundation helping to raise money through different fundraisers.

When some kids in the neighborhood had a lemonade stand, Holly asked if could have one too.

"I told her that she could, but hers would need a focus, a reason to have a lemonade stand," Lynn said.

"If I don't teach my kids that it is not all me me me me É then who will? We are here to serve others, that is what it says in the Bible and that is what I want to teach my children."

The Bass family had typically donated clothes and toys to the Bonaire United Methodist Church yard sale, an event that has evolved into a group known as the Bonaire-Kathleen Connection Karing for Kids.

So doing the lemonade stand and donating the money to Joanna's foundation was a natural progression for the family.

Last weekend, Holly and Maxx had their first lemonade stand at the Bonaire Little Reasons Spring Fling.

One of the things that Holly did tell me when we met was her recipe for lemonade: lemons, sugar, lemon juice.

Nothing else?

No, the five-year-old asserted.

Water?

It doesn't take water to make lemonade, I was told.

Holly's plan was to charge $3 for a glass; for $30 you could have two glasses.

But the way it worked out, the kids just accepted donations.

Holly and Maxx collected $216.87 at their inaugural lemonade stand last weekend as they worked hard getting ice in the cups and filling them with lemonade.

As for Holly's water-less lemonade recipe, don't worry. Sonny's Bar-B-Q is donating the lemonade for Holly's lemonade stand.

Other local businesses that have made donations to the lemonade stand include Wal-Mart (Watson Boulevard), Kroger (Russell Parkway), Publix (Highway 96) and Office Depot.

This Saturday, Holly and Maxx will be hard at work again, selling lemonade at the Karing for Kids Yard Sale.

There are probably plenty of other things that a five-year-old could think to do on a Saturday.

But for Holly her participation all comes down to one thing: "God and Jesus say to help people. When God says to do something, you are supposed to do it."

Amen, Holly.

The Karing for Kids yard sale will be from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 203 Lashley Drive in Bonaire. Money raised at the yard sale will be donated to the Joanna McAfee Childhood Cancer Foundation.

Directions: Leaving Warner Robins heading south, turn right onto Ga. 96 from Ga. 247, turn left onto County Road, and the yard sale is on the second street to the right.

Alline Kent may be contacted via e-mail at AllineKent@cox.net, or by calling 396-2467