The Blue Ash North Fire Station on Kenwood Road opened its doors Saturday for the 9th annual Payton's Lemonade Stand, a youth-led charity fundraiser that has grown from one girl's driveway into a regional movement raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for children in need.

The three-hour event, held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 10647 Kenwood Road, was one of dozens of stands across Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and beyond benefiting children and families facing medical, personal and economic hardships, according to the Blue Ash Fire Department's announcement posted the day before. The City of Blue Ash also shared the announcement on its official account.

A teddy bear that started it all

Payton Obert was 18 months old when she was hospitalized at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. A teddy bear given to her during that stay became a nightly comfort she never let go. In 2018, at age 6, she asked her dad to build her a lemonade stand. She spent three hours in the family's driveway and raised $768.

She donated every cent to buy toys for hospitalized kids.

"Even if you don't raise as much as you were hoping for, that's still the money that you raised that's going to go to those kids in need," Payton told WLWT in July 2023, during coverage of the organization's 6th annual event.

Eight years later, the operation looks nothing like that first driveway stand. The 8th annual event in 2025 featured more than 100 stands across Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, raising over $150,000 in a single day, according to the organization's website. Hosts have included Kings Island, senior living communities, fire departments and local businesses.

Nonprofit with a growing reach

Payton's Lemonade Stand earned its 501(c)(3) status in 2021. Jess Obert, Payton's mother, serves as executive director, according to the organization's Magnified Giving profile. The nonprofit's 2024 annual report shows total revenue of more than $1.86 million, including in-kind donations, and the distribution of over $1.5 million in essential items through its Community Serving Kids program.

Payton was named Cincinnati's 2024 Young Philanthropist of the Year by the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Fire departments as community partners

Fire departments have been recurring hosts of Payton's Lemonade Stand since at least 2022, according to the organization's 2024 annual report. The Blue Ash North Fire Station's participation Saturday continued that tradition, giving families along the Kenwood Road corridor a neighborhood spot to grab a cup of lemonade and support the cause.

Upcoming community events