PITTSFIELD, Mass.—In two years, nine-year-old Elliot Mack raised about $800 with his lemonade stand for local organizations, but this year he set out on a mission to raise $1,000 for the nonprofit  Strong Little Souls Foundation.

 

And the community has gone above and beyond, doubling his original goal. 

 

This year Elliot raised $2,020 in donations and sales for the organization dedicated to "brightening the lives of children battling cancer, and their families." 

 

"It's so cool to see people so young give back, especially because I started Strong Little Souls when I was only 13," said Strong Little Souls Foundation founder Madison Quinn. 

 

 

Strong Little Souls Foundation was founded in 2014 and it helps families affected by pediatric cancer. Strong Little Souls sends care packages, offer financial assistance, and grant wishes for children battling cancer.  

 

"I've been running Strong Little Souls for about nine years now. We work with families locally across the [United States] Right now. I feel like every day I come across a new family locally which is so unfortunate," Quinn said. "But we have so much need in this community to support these families, whether it's financially or sometimes I pick up kids from school while their parents are at the hospital just doing whatever I can to support our families locally," 

 

Quinn said when Elliot's mom Danielle Mack reached out to her she said the goal of raising $1,000 felt "crazy" but Quinn reassured her that is not the case. 

 

Quinn said when she first started her nonprofit a lot of people thought she was "crazy" but young people should never be underestimated.

 

Quinn said her favorite messages she receives are from parents expressing that their children are interested in doing a school project on her nonprofit or would like to put together a fundraiser. 

 

And she said they will take all the help they can get. Childhood cancer is severely underfunded despite how common it is, Quinn said. 

 

"Adult cancers receive 92 percent of all cancer research funding which is so unfortunate because children are our future and they have so much life to live," Quinn said. 

 

"The average life loss of a child with cancer is seven years when it's an adult with cancer, the average lifespan loss is seven. So children are just missing out on so much and they really should be our priority. So it's so important for me just to continue supporting kids with cancer and increasing funding and advocating for these kids."

 

According to the American Childhood Cancer Organization cancer is the number 1 cause of death by disease for children in America.

 

Each year an estimated 15,780 children between the ages of birth and 19 are diagnosed with cancer.

 

The stand became a community effort this year with Elliot receiving food donations from residents Janet and Bob Kent, Karen McHugh, Debbie Southard, and Maureen Daniels and Shire Donuts, that donated a dozen donuts.

 

The first year he held his lemonade stand he wanted to help kids get memberships to the Boys and Girls Club who couldn't afford one.  

 

Last year he chose Soldier On & Operation Bridges because his grandfather is a veteran. Also Elliot is a fan of Officer Derby who runs Copsicle, funded by the nonprofit, Mack said.