OUTSTANDING YOUTH IN PHILANTHROPY
For 12 year-old Payton Obert, it all began with a teddy bear.
During an overnight hospital stay at age 2, Payton received the plush toy that she describes as “a very good comfort item.” A few years down the line, the stuffed animal would go on to serve as a spark of inspiration.
“When I was around 6, I saw my neighbors doing a lemonade stand, and I’m like, ‘Mom, what’s that?’ And she told me all about it. And I was like, ‘Well, I want to do one.’ ”
With the help of her parents, Payton’s “summer bucket list” item became a reality. And instead of pocketing the near $800 the stand amassed, Payton decided to pay it forward – by buying toys for patients at Cincinnati Children’s.
That single lemonade stand has since grown into Payton’s Lemonade Stand, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that coordinates dozens of “Payton’s Pals” lemonade stands across the region every summer to raise funds for charity. Every July, the organization raises thousands of dollars during a one-day event, with 90 stands raising over $125,000 in 2024. Stand hosts have included Girl Scout troops and fire departments. Take a look at the organization’s map and you’ll see the Tristate covered in cartoon lemons designating where stands pop up.
“It’s just so neat and so heartwarming to see the community coming together for a common cause,” Payton said.
In the years since Payton’s first stand, the organization, which officially became a nonprofit in 2021, has increased the number of charities it supports via lemonade sales. Beyond the annual fundraising event, the organization also partners with other nonprofits to give back.
Recently, Payton’s Lemonade Stand joined forces with Sleep in Heavenly Peace to build beds for 40 children. They also spearhead Payton’s Annual Lemon Giving Trees during the holidays and the Community Serving Kids program, where they work with Matthew 25: Ministries to distribute toiletries and other necessities to a variety of organizations.
And Payton’s Lemonade Stand continues to be a family affair. Mom Jess Obert is the nonprofit’s executive director. Mike Obert, Payton’s dad, is vice president of the board. Little sister Presley carries the title of “World’s Sweetest Assistant.” And cavapoo Joey occasionally serves as the unofficial canine mascot.
Outside the world of philanthropy, Payton is a seventh grader who enjoys hanging out with friends, visiting parks and playing soccer. The same teddy bear given to her years ago remains on her bed to this day. While Payton still sees herself staying involved in the organization in the years to come – and only envisions it continuing to expand – she currently aspires to a career in speech-language pathology.
A ‘unique childhood’
“Believe it or not, she gets a lot of time to just be a kid,” Payton’s mother, Jess, said. “While she does a lot – she has a lot of speaking engagements and a lot of things she does behind the scenes – she also gets to be a kid.”
“It’s a unique childhood,” Payton added. “I get to go out and do more things than some people.”
When asked what advice she has for other young people interested in philanthropy, Payton stressed that a bit of initiative or a simple act of kindness can have a “ripple effect.”
“It only really takes one person to make a difference,” she said. “Go out in your community. Be that person. Somebody drops their pencil, pick up their pencil. That’ll make their day, and that’ll encourage them to be kind to other people, and so on.”
For all of the organization’s exponential growth from a single stand to an established nonprofit, to Jess, none of this has come as a shock.
“To be honest, it’s not surprising to me,” Jess said. “Payton has always been what we call an ‘old soul.’ She’s always been very empathetic from a very early age. So I feel like she’s truly living out what her purpose here is.”
Natural leadership qualities
Nichole Lawrence, president of the organization’s board, has known Payton since she was a baby.
“I was there at her first lemonade stand,” Nichole recalled. “I stopped by and donated some money, and I’ve just watched it grow over the years.”
Like Jess, Nichole deems Payton an “old soul.” To Nichole, Payton’s “natural leadership quality,” compassion, and the fact that she has a “little bit of a teacher in her” are integral to Payton’s role as the founder of the organization.
“The first year she did it, you’re like, ‘Yeah, that totally makes sense,’” Nichole said. “‘It’s totally something Payton would do.’ And then, just as it’s grown, and how she’s gotten other kids involved – it just fits her personality so well. I can’t see her doing something else.”
Payton has encountered many lemonades in her lifetime – there was the distinct blue raspberry lemonade at a special doughnut shop she visited following a soccer tournament and the one-of-a-kind tropical punch lemonade she recently found at Jungle Jim’s International Market. But there’s one tried-and-true recipe the young philanthropist continues to swear by: lemonade mix, water and love.
And she’s not done squeezing every bit of potential out of Payton’s Lemonade Stand.
“I just want it to continue to grow,” Payton said. “I don’t want it to ever stop growing.”
Discover more from Movers & Makers
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.