Madison child uses lemonade stand to raise money

From left, Shelley, Jessica, Shelby, Natalie, Madeline and Kate at Shelby’s lemonade stand to help raise money for the Melissa George Neonatal Memorial Fund at July 9. (Record Photo/Nick Sellers)

By Nick Sellers | Staff Writer

MADISON – As part of an annual tradition of selling lemonade at her stand in Madison, local 10-year-old Shelby Ball is continuing her selfless efforts to raise money for the Melissa George Neonatal Memorial Fund at Huntsville Hospital.

Shelby’s campaign is a personal one for her and parents Jenni and Travis, and one that began with her birth 10 years ago.

Born 13 weeks early, at 27 weeks, Shelby spent almost two months in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Huntsville Hospital. Her time there coincided with Amy and Chris George, who had recently had twins that were in the NICU, Melissa and Ann Catherine.

After Melissa passed away while at the hospital, Amy, a former news anchor at WHNT, set up the Melissa George Neonatal Memorial Fund while keeping a bond with Jenni and Travis.

For more than half her life, Shelby has been involved with raising money for the foundation, running a modest lemonade and food stand outside her Madison home.

“We wanted to make something where they get involved and do something,” Jenni said. “They want to be a part of it.”

The stand was up and running again on July 9, as Shelby, her sister and friends, all members of the Groovy Guppies swim team, raised $351 on the afternoon for the foundation.

“Children can make a difference in our community with just small things they can do,” Marsha Willis, Shelby’s grandmother, said.

The Groovy Guppies is the group that participates in the annual Swim for Melissa event in August. The event consists of a non-competitive swim meet and family-friendly fun to raise money.

To date, the fund has raised over $2.2 million over 10 years. More information can be found at huntsvillehospitalfoundation.org/funds and on the group’s Facebook page.