Joe's Lemonade Stand hopes to reach goal of $100K in 11th year fundraising for Gillette Children's

For 11 years, Joe Carr has spent part of his summer behind a lemonade stand outside his family's home.

What started as a small fundraiser following one of Joe's surgeries at Gillette Children's has grown into a community tradition that has raised nearly $100,000 for the hospital.

Joe Carr and his family started the stand in 2015. According to his mother, Kristi Carr, the fundraiser brought in just a few hundred dollars during its first year. Last year alone, the stand raised more than $17,000, bringing the overall total to more than $88,000 before this year's event.

All donations support Gillette Children's Adaptive Bike Fund, which helps provide adaptive bicycles for children and adults with disabilities.

Kristi Carr credits the fundraiser's success to Joe's outgoing personality and the connections he has built over the years.

"Anybody meets him as a friend after a couple of minutes," she said.

The annual event attracts a mix of neighbors, returning supporters and first-time visitors. Some travel from other parts of Minnesota after hearing about the fundraiser through friends or social media.

This year's lemonade stand included a special surprise.

Representatives from Blaze Credit Union, a longtime supporter of the fundraiser, brought country music artist Haley James to the event. James performed her song "Lemonade," which was inspired by Joe Carr and his annual fundraiser.

The performance served as a tribute to a young man whose lemonade stand has become much more than a summer tradition.

As the donations continue to grow, Joe Carr and his family hope this year's event will push the fundraiser past the $100,000 mark.