SBPD officer helps 12-year-old with lemonade stand, makes generous donation

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) - Lemonade, popcorn, and punch...that is what 12-year-old Jaelynn Wilson and his four-year-old brother offer at their lemonade stand once every few weeks in their South Bend neighborhood.

“I love the stand and I love the good cookies too,” Marcia Brown, a repeat customer of Jaelynn’s, says.

And when South Bend police officer Ron Glon showed up Sunday afternoon, it was not to shut it down, it was to help Jaelynn open up.

“Me and Jaeylnn are going to be waiting on people, collecting money, serving drinks, and I’m going to match 100 percent of what we take in,” Officer Glon told Jaelynn’s grandmother.

The surprising gesture left many, like Jaelynn, speechless.

“I’m out of words, I’m out of words. It’s crazy,” Jaelynn said

For Brown, a repaying customer, the gesture was sweet.

“Ron Glon is a sweet person. So when I heard the name, I said that is going to be Mr. Glon coming,” Brown said.

But for everyone, the purpose was larger than lemonade.

“It came to my heart and I thought of him like a family member because it really meant a lot for a police officer to help somebody who they don’t even know. They are just out here doing what the want to do, and he came to support,” Jaelynn says.

It is the kind of support Officer Glon says young kids like Jaeylnn need, especially in a time where many people across the country stand divided.

“His mother is concerned about him not knowing whether or not to trust police officers or not. My job is to tell him that he has nothing to worry about. Don’t be fearful, don’t be afraid of us,” Officer Glon says.

Jaelynn says he is thankful for Officer Glon’s help. He says his dream is to turn his lemonade stand into a food truck one day, buy a Nissan GTR, and join the NBA.

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