As a Florida community mourns the loss of three law enforcement officers killed in a tragic crash last month, one local boy is stepping up to help with a timeless childhood venture — a lemonade stand.
“I saw a need and I just thought that’s what Jesus would do,” 9-year-old Charlie Allsup said during an interview on “Fox & Friends First,” Thursday. “I do what Jesus would do, so I just thought I could help.”
Charlie’s little sister attends the same daycare as the son of fallen Palm Beach Deputy Sheriff Ignacio “Dan” Diaz, which inspired Charlie to set up his lemonade stand to raise funds for the family’s tuition costs.
TRUMP, DESANTIS JOIN THOUSANDS TO MOURN 3 FLORIDA DEPUTIES KILLED IN ROADSIDE CRASH
Memorial service for three fallen Palm Beach County Sheriff’s deputies on December 3, 2024, in Palm Beach County. (Bill Ingram/Imagn)
Diaz, Deputy Sheriff Ralph “Butch” Waller and Corporal Luis Paez were struck by and killed by a Jeep SUV on Nov. 21 while stopped with their motorcycles on the shoulder of Southern Boulevard.
Waller and Paez were pronounced dead at the hospital shortly after the crash, while Diaz was in critical condition and underwent surgery at the hospital, but later succumbed to his injuries.
Thousands attended a memorial Tuesday morning in West Palm Beach, including President-elect Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
So far, Charlie’s lemonade stand has raised nearly $4,000 — enough to cover several months of daycare tuition for the Diaz family.
President Donald J. Trump, a Secret Service member, his son Donald Trump Jr., Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and his wife Casey DeSantis attend a memorial service for three fallen Palm Beach County Sheriff’s deputies at the South Florida Fairgrounds, Tuesday, December 03, 2024, in Palm Beach County. (Bill Ingram/Imagn)
“When families go through tragedies like this, they don’t always know what they need,” said Charlie’s mother, Christina. “What Charlie really did was give the families the ability to focus on the next minute, the next hour, the next day and not have to think of all those other burdens. And he gave our community the ability to contribute as well.”
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office described Diaz as someone who “bravely fought but ultimately lost his battle due to injuries sustained in the tragic crash.” Diaz had served with the department since 2004, spending more than a decade in the motor unit.
Christina, who is married to a law enforcement officer, says watching her son take on this project has been emotional.
“Parenting is hard, and I think as parents a lot of times we question whether the choices we are making are the right ones for our kids,” she said. “Then when you see something like this it really makes you feel good, like I must be doing something right.”
Memorial service for three fallen Palm Beach County Sheriff’s deputies on December 3, 2024 in Palm Beach County. President-elect Donald J. Trump, his son Eric, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis attended the service. (Bill Ingram/Imagn)
