Lemonade Stand Fundraiser for the Friends of the Scarsdale Library

A rainy morning and cloudy skies could not keep the Konstantoulakis family away from supporting their beloved Library! Costas, 7, and Philip, 5, sold lemonade, treats, books, bookmarks and stickers, with all proceeds going to support the Friends of the Scarsdale Library’s Landscape Campaign.

In April of this year, local Scarsdale mother, Julia Park, called the library to share that her son had seen the FOSL banner about a fundraiser that he wanted to contribute to, adding, “He was so motivated, that night he started brainstorming ideas and came up with the idea of donating his used books and selling lemonade.” Fundraising for the library is generally carried out by volunteers from the Friends of the Scarsdale Library. When Copresidents Stacey Mayer and Nancy Kaplan heard about this story, they saw it as a great opportunity to support these young philanthropists.

“Scarsdale has a deep history of philanthropic residents, and we are delighted to see and encourage it in our youngest residents. It is so gratifying to see our community members engaged in the plans to transform the library’s campus into a parklike destination for all our residents to enjoy. We are confident Costas and his peers will enjoy the changes for years to come.”

Julia shared that Costas and Philip love visiting the library, especially the Children’s Room where they find a “wonderful selection of books to read,” and where they enjoy taking part in chess and the scavenger hunts. “It’s also fun for them to see some of their friends from school and meet new friends,” she added.

When asked how seeing her children so motivated made her feel, Julia said, “I am delighted to see my kids inspired to help our wonderful library. Where they can make a contribution to something they love doing.”

Library Director, Beth Bermel, was also pleased to hear that the library had such an impact on Costas and his brother Philip. “It is truly heartwarming to see young people so invested in their community library. The Friends are lucky to have these enterprising youth supporting their efforts, and we are grateful for such a supportive community, including the inspiring Konstantoulakis family.”

In all, the boys raised a total of $237, while spreading their joy of reading through the books they personally enjoyed throughout the years.

The Library in the Park Campaign - the inspiration for the fundraiser - will make more outdoor space available for open-air programming, for reading and study, for Scarsdale children and adults alike. The Campaign has nearly achieved its fundraising goal and will be wrapping up and unveiling detailed drawings this Fall.

The Friends of the Scarsdale Library work in partnership with the SPL team to bring relevant and inspired content to Scarsdale by sponsoring book discussions with popular authors, underwriting art shows and purchasing the latest technology. Donations are accepted year-round, and funds are used for a variety of programs, including the chess programs Costas and Philip enjoy attending.