Clark Roush and Markus Trivedi hid in their basements the night of June 20 as an EF-3 tornado hit about three miles south.
It was scary, “but luckily it didn’t hit us,” Markus said.
The two 11-year-olds learned just how lucky they were the next day when they heard about the devastation that occurred not far from their homes. One of Markus’ friends was directly impacted, he said.
The pair wanted to help and decided they would sell lemonade and Gatorade outside Clark’s Naperville home June 26, with proceeds going to the Red Cross.
They ended up raising more than $1,500 from sales at their stand and online donations.
“I did not think it would be that high,” said Clark, who attended Steeple Run Elementary School with Markus. Both boys are headed to sixth-grade at a new school this fall.
Markus, who has held hot cocoa fundraisers in the past, said more than $1,000 through in-person sales. Had the weather not turned bad, they might have made more, the Lisle resident said.
“The rain probably kept some people away,” Markus said.
“I was surprised by the number of people donating in Venmo and Zelle,” he added. They were able to set up mobile payments for anyone who could not come out in person.
They went through 15 gallons of lemonade and 10 gallons of Gatorade, charging $1 for a 16-ounce drink, Markus said.
“Most people gave $20s, there were a lot of $20s. A lot of ones and fives,” he said of those who chose to give more than $1 in order to help a good cause.
“We had people giving anywhere from $5 to $100,? said Michelle Roush, Clark’s mother. She estimated they had about 50 customers.
“I’m surprised at how many people that came out, but I’m not surprised at the generosity,” she said. “People want to help in times like these but it can be overwhelming to know how.”
Clark mailed the check to the Red Cross Thursday, and included a handwritten letter thanking the agency for the tornado relief.
“It feels good knowing we’re giving them a decent chunk of change that could turn around a family that struggled or lost something that night,” Michelle Roush said.
“Homes were destroyed three miles away from us,” Clark said. “I wanted to help them rebuild … and be a good neighbor.”
“We liked seeing how the community responded to these (events),” Markus said.
The Red Cross continues to collect money for tornado victims. Donations can be made online at redcross.org
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, by calling 1-800-HELP-NOW, texting REDCROSS to 90999, using Amazon’s virtual assistant Alexa or through the mail. More information is available at the Red Cross website.