6-year-old opens lemonade stand to help parents with financial strain, other children

BOLINGBROOK, Ill. (WLS) -- A six-year-old Bolingbrook boy is using his summer vacation to make money to help his family and other kids like him.

Ismael Ruiz tapped into his entrepreneurial spirit and poured it into a lemonade stand.

Ruiz's father hurt his arm in a work accident a couple years ago, putting some financial strain on the family as they pay for surgeries.

"So one day when I went to the store in Walmart, I saw this kind of toy, so I wanted to buy it, but I didn't have any money," Ruiz said.

Ruiz wants to pay for his own toys and school supplies and take some stress of his parents.

"He's been always like that. He's been always trying to help everybody, but I think he's just bright, and he's an entrepreneur. I think he has that in his blood," said Eva Ruiz, mother. "I cannot even believe it. People are actually helping him."

Ruiz did research for the lemonade stand and came up with a recipe.

"I put 20 scoops of lemonade powder, five scoops of sugar and five ice cubes, and I cut six lemons," Ruiz said.

The COVID-19 pandemic put a lot financial strain on other families, so Ruiz hopes to donate some of his hard earned cash to other kids, so they can buy toys too.

"He's like, 'Mommy, now I want to go out in the parks and get more money, and we're able to help more kids like me, and I want to do that,'" Eva said.