Brothers Noah and Cole Dingels of Eden Prairie, Minn., did something five years ago that many children have done for generations: start a lemonade stand. What they didn’t know is that years later, their efforts would help raise more than $60,000 for U.S. military veterans.
When the siblings were just 7 and 4 years old, they set up a stand at a golf event in their own backyard sponsored by Tee It Up for the Troops, a national nonprofit organization founded in 2005 and based in Burnsville, Minn., that engages veterans and raises awareness for causes through golf events, outreach programs and fundraisers.
That first year, the brothers sold $359 worth of lemonade and gave every cent to veterans. But rather than rest on their laurels, they set their sights even higher. Noah, now 11, and Cole, 8, kept going and ultimately raised tens of thousands of dollars—including $23,000 in just one day.
Angela, the boys’ mother, told Military.com that it all began in 2022 when a flyer was put in the family’s mailbox that said, “Show your American pride on the golf course side of your house.”
For them, that’s their backyard. She and her husband, knowing their kids’ wanted to set up a lemonade stand, suggested doing it during the Tee It Up for the Troops golf outing to raise money for veterans. The organization was contacted and thought it was a great idea.
They raised $359 that day.
“They were really excited,” Angela said. “They got to go to the banquet and present the funds they had raised, and a spark was lit for our family. We decided we loved doing that, loved giving back in that way, and so each year—this past year was our fifth year—the boys have talked about, how do we beat our goal from last year? What else could we do?”
The next year, they sold golf balls they found in their yard—which is a lot of balls considering their proximity to the course. The balls were recovered, cleaned and sold back to golfers for charity. A year later, they added candy bars to accompany the lemonade.
Money goes towards training service dogs for veterans who served in wars, helping veterans with PTSD, and providing therapy for veterans.
Loftier Goals
About two years ago, the family’s vision continued to evolve.
With some old-fashioned elbow grease and an entrepreneurial spirit, the family created a PowerPoint presentation. The boys went to local businesses and asked for sponsorships. The response, according to Angela, was “incredible.”
“I think in the last couple of years we’ve had over 50 sponsors, and the stand has grown year over year,” she said. “As of this year, the total five-year impact is over $60,000 that they’ve raised for the troops.”
The family’s military ties are the boys’ grandfather, who served in the Army as a helicopter pilot for 33 years until he retired and has since passed. Angela said that he inspired her children to do something in his honor.
“I think this opportunity has invited a really wonderful and important conversation as a family about the importance of giving back, and a deeper understanding about the men and women who have sacrificed so much—and how our freedoms aren’t free,” Angela said, adding that foursomes on the course usually include at least one veteran.
The boys get to meet those veterans, thank them for their service, develop special connections, and hear their stories. It’s a learning experience about the American spirit.
Humble Brothers
Noah and Cole told Military.com that they derived the idea as a “cool” way to honor their grandfather.
Noah, who is entering sixth grade this fall, said that never in his wildest dreams did he think a measly lemonade stand would amass this much money, and for such a good cause.
“I thought the most we would ever raise would be like $1,000 or something, not over $60,000,” Noah said.
For Cole, just running the stand is a thrill.
“It is kind of fun to put the money in the cash register,” said Cole, a third grader. “It’s fun to close it and open it, and it’s fun to thank [the veterans] for their service. I feel really honored.”
A Special Letter
One day a letter arrived at the family residence.
It was labeled as the Department of Defense, to which Angela joked to her husband that their boys were being drafted. Instead, it was signed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
“We opened it and were very surprised, pleasantly surprised,” she said. “It was really very exciting and quite an honor to receive that letter. Secretary Hegseth is also a Minnesotan, so it was a special connection. I think the boys were really proud to read that letter, and they’ve shown it to a lot of friends and family.”
Noah thought it was “really, really cool.”
Keeping the Lemonade Flowing
The stand happens once per year, usually on the second Monday in June.
“Noah and Cole remind us that you’re never too young to serve something bigger than yourself,” Chris LaRocque, president and executive director of Tee It Up for the Troops, said in a statement. “What they’ve built from a lemonade stand is exactly what we’re about, neighbors showing up for the men and women who showed up for all of us.”
Angela said there’s an opening ceremony on the day of the event at the clubhouse, followed by golfing getting started at 12:15 p.m. The lemonade stand serves its various flavors, from sugar-free to Arnold Palmers, until around 5 p.m.
“Some years it’s really hot,” she said. “Some years they get rained on, but they’re troopers and stay out there until the last group comes through to make sure they can make every sale.”
Helping others goes a long way. Doing it in the memory of their grandfather is the straw that stirs the drink.
“I think he would be pretty proud,” Noah said.
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