By Dorothy Andries

Reprinted from the Pioneer Press Newspaper

June 22, 2000

Making lemonade

Photo Caption:Robbie and Rickey Deutsch of Highland Park will be selling lemonade this summer to raise money for the Rory David Deutsch Foundation, named in honor of their brother, who died of a brain tumor. (Cathryn Scott/Pioneer Press)

Robbie and Rickey Deutsch of Highland Park both have jobs this summer. From Memorial Day to Labor Day these lads, seven and five years of age, will sell lemonade as part of a lemonade stand program to raise money for the Rory David Deutsch Foundation, a not-for-profit organization funding pediatric brain tumor research.

The foundation was named for their brother, who died in 1998 at age seven of a pediatric brain tumor.

For 10 weeks last summer the Deutschs put up lemonade stands at 30 locations across the country. Lemonade was sold for $1 a glass and $50,000 was raised for the foundation.

"We thought this was a wonderful idea," said Ross Deutsch, father of the boys. "It reflected the innocence of our son Rory. He was sweet and gentle, and lemonade stands seemed the perfect choice."

This year, the foundation is inviting community groups, such as schools, churches and PTAs to encourage children to volunteer for this very worthwhile project. The goal is $75,000.

The foundation will supply interested parties with a complete set of instructions on how to set up and run a lemonade stand. Sample suggestion: "You can have one to three kids running the stand together. One pours lemonade, one collects money, and the third keeps an eye out for the next customer."

The focus on children is paramount to Deutsch. "I think it is important that they understand charity and learn that they can make something happen through their own efforts," he said. "All the fund-raisers we sponsor will be events that children can attend and enjoy."

Rory's story is a heart-breaker. One Saturday in February 1998 he came home from a tennis lesson, complaining of numbness in his arm. By Monday, he couldn't move the arm and by Tuesday his speech was slurred and he was limping. Thursday a MRI revealed a tumor in his brain stem.

Surgery was not an option, because of the tumor's location. Chemotherapy and radiation treatments were briefly effective and the boy was back in school by May. But next month the symptoms returned, and on doctor's advice, the family stopped treatment and brought Rory home. He died July 22, five months after diagnosis.

Immediately the family established a foundation in his name. "Pediatric brain tumors have the highest death rate of all childhood cancers," said Deutsch, "yet they have one of the lowest levels of research funding - less than three percent of all cancer funding."

The foundation aims to change all that - and has been phenomenally successful. In two years, it has raised more than $1 million and $250,000 has been donated to the Rory David Deutsch Brain Tumor Research Program team of doctors at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago.

The story of the little boy whose life ended far too soon has touched many people. Charita-Ball 1999, sponsored by Vision-Tek, raised $650,000 for cancer research, one-third of which was earmarked for the Children's team.

The weekend of July 8, 9, and 10, the owners of Cubby Bear and Cubby Bear North are holding a weekend of activities, including a concert, seats at the Cubs/White Sox game and a Monday golf outing at Midlane Country Club in Wadsworth. Funds raised will be donated to the Deutsch Foundation. For information, call Jay Cash at 459-3400.

The foundation's next event will be Nov. 4 at the Windy City Fieldhouse in Chicago, a former warehouse, which has been converted into an indoor sports facility with soccer fields, basketball court, putting area for golfers and carnival rides.

Until then, however, youngsters who want to make a difference will just have to work at a lemonade stand. For information, call 888-919-7679.