Local Boy Gets Unforgettable Visit from the Belvidere Fire Department [VIDEO]

Summer's here, which means there's a pretty good chance you're going to start seeing young entreprenuers hanging out on their street corners selling ice cold lemonade.

When I was a kid, the goal was to raise enough money for the newest flavor of Lip Smackers or a new pair of jelly sandals; but kids these days are pouring more than just lemonade for giving passersby; they're pouring their heart and soul into these glasses in hopes of raising money for a good cause.

Meet Xavier, an 8-year-old boy from Belvidere who recently opened his own lemonade stand to raise money for a very special camp. He wasn't open long when he got a surprise that he'll never forget- a visit from the Belvidere Police Department, and they showed up in style.

I first came across Xavier's story on Facebook and reached out to his mom, Ashley, to learn more about him and this very special surprise from the BFD. She described the day to me and shared intimate details about Xavier and it will melt your heart:

"Xavier is 8 years old and was diagnosed at 4 with a degenerative neuropathy called Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. Since then our family has been looking for ways to raise money for various things like research, finding a cure, and support for family that live with diseases like Xavier's.  While planning our yearly garage sale Xavier decided to set up a lemonade stand to earn money for a tin of Pokemon cards he has been asking for. The first day of the sale he woke up first thing in the morning and said to me, "Mom, I'm not going to keep the money from my lemonade stand. I want to give it to my camp!" I explained to him that they were looking for gift cards and he set a goal to raise enough money to provide them with at least a few. So, we threw away all the signs he made and started from scratch on some new ones.

 

My boyfriend, Matt Hehn, decided to reach out to a friend of his at the Belvidere Fire Department to let them know that Xavier was holding his own Fill the Boot. And without missing a beat he said they would be here to help him raise some money. They didn't just show up, they brought a parade of trucks! They put a smile on Xavier's face that went for miles, and gave him a memory that will last a lifetime. Xavier attended the MDA Camp last summer and leaves in a few days for this years camp. He talks about it all the time. It's the highlight of his summer. After just 1 year he has decided he will attend every year until he is too old. And even then he wants to go back possibly as a counselor."

What an incredible kid; nice work, Xavier. And kudos to the Belvidere Fire Department for going above and beyond the call of duty to make Xavier's day and show support for a great cause.